To Make You Happy
by Cat Alex
Summary: Dr Jackal has a life no one knows about. He has a past not even he knows all the details of and a girlfriend who wants to know who the real Akabane is. Trouble brews for the two and they both look at the past while fighting for a future. Complete.
1. A Look At Two Lovers

**To Make You Happy**

By Cat Alex

**Chapter One: A Look at Two Lovers**

She only wanted to please him. And it hurt her when he told her that she would be unable to please him completely, for – _"The type of enjoyment I like to receive destroys all save me."_

She hated and loved him for it. She had hated him then, but now with the gift of hindsight, it had been an act of love for her. He didn't want to hurt her, despite the face he knew that she had thought he was saying it to upset her. He really had her interests at heart. It was a strange relationship, a man who gained pleasure through blood, pain and, ultimately, murder. He loved challenges since his line of work rarely gave him much competition from which he could have some of his brand of 'fun'. But she had extracted the information from him, carefully, _lovingly_, so she could find a way to please him. He was happy with her, he - his words failed him there, but she knew he found it disturbing to say that he loved her – and he was glad to give her pleasure.

But she discovered his love of pain and death and, though disturbed, she could not erase her love for him and so made the decision to try and please him. It began on a calm, but dreary night that gave their apartment a comfortable, homey feeling to it that relaxed her greatly for what she was about to allow. She was aware of the unusual powers he possessed and wondered whether he would use them tonight while with her. Control. She prayed his love for control mixed with his love for her would restrain him from going too far. If not… then she prayed instead that he would get her to a medical facility before it was too late.

A storm had begun too, but it was pathetic and only added to the dreary gloom the windows had to offer her. The energy from the storm set her on edge. As soon as he returned to her, he knew something wasn't quite right. The place was completely silent as he hung up his coat and placed his hat on its stand. He was used to her being the truly cheery one of their coupling, but there was no cheerful humming, nothing. His eyes tracked her short strip of pacing past the large window, her grey eyes fixed on the pattern of rain on the glass. Silently he approached her. She halted to peer into the gloom, perhaps to see where the mild flash of lightning had struck, and stiffened when his arms slid around her waist, his gloved fingers lightly digging into her flesh; not painfully – it was his way of assuring her and she was quite accustomed to it.

"Hello, my dear. Something wrong?" he whispered, his lips pressing to her neck briefly, his teeth grazing her neck lightly. He always teased pain sensations – it was his affection. She leaned her head back to rest on a broad shoulder and sighed.

"Hello, Kuroudo. We need to talk." She kept her words gentle, but firm. He straightened and found a hand, guiding her to the black sofa. They sat, his navy eyes watching her with amused curiosity, while she stared at her fidgeting hands.

"Well, what do you wish to tell me?" he politely asked and she rolled her eyes at him, frowning slightly, her face taut with mild annoyance.

"Do you have to sound so… calm and dispassionate?" she said, her eyes narrowing as she waited for a response. He softly sighed and removed his gloves, placing them neatly on the glass coffee table. Something had to be wrong. She should be used to his affected tone of voice.

"I do."

"Well… stop it," she lamely replied, her eyes crinkling a touch with amusement. He smiled, glad she was cheering up, but still interested about what she was going to talk about. Something serious, it was clear.

"Kuroudo… you know I love you and want to make you happy, right?" she asked, her pretty eyes now locked with his. He was at a loss for words, so he merely nodded. Concern was filtering through his mind now she was on this subject. They had brushed by it so many times, each time him determined to keep her away from the dark side that craved pleasure. He desired the pleasure she could give him, but dared not take it. And with good reason; she would not survive. He was a serial killer and he knew he craved more every time, despite his strict control. And once they were down the path she was so willing to lead him, there was likely no going back. He hated the fact that he was pulled in two directions – he wanted her to let him, but at the same time wanted to recoil. She moved close to him, a hand of hers entwining with one of his.

"I want us to try making you happy. I… thought we could try cutting me. If – if it makes you happy," her voice faltered, fear tampering with it, and he closed his eyes. It was as he feared.

"I cannot allow you to do this. Reika, you do not understand. Once it is done, there is no going back and I will lose control. And you know how I feel about that," he murmured, his head inclining toward her. He loved the woman before him so much, he could never properly express his feelings, despite his articulate nature. He felt that it being articulated could never do his feelings justice, so he remained silent on the matter. He loved that she wanted to please him, even if it meant her pain… perhaps even her death, if they weren't careful. What she wanted to give him tore at him; he wanted to receive it, but push it far away. It could only be resisted so long.

"I want to. Just try some things, like making love with some cutting. Pleasure for both, right?" She pressed a few loving kisses to his neck, savouring his taste - an unusual sweet metal flavour. His eyes slid closed, happy to have her close company. A funny thought of marriage occurred to him, but drifted away. He could never marry. She could never stay with him like that, even if that was exactly what they were doing, just without the certificate. He didn't know what she felt on the matter. What would marriage do to them both, he wondered, but the answer never materialised. He became caught up in her advances, her kisses travelling up his neck to find his lips. He returned them with a feverish desire, the thought of his knives sliding across her skin tantalisingly. He could imagine the cold metal upon her skin, her body trembling and shying from the cold and sharpness. Then his delight as they seductively cut, her blood slowly staining the sheets and leaving a pattern on his body. He pulled back, unable to allow those thoughts to continue. He couldn't stand the thought of her blood on him, her pure and beautiful nature destroyed by him. It would be his fault – her love for him driving her to attempt to please him and ultimately lead to her death. For once one cut was made, so many more would have to follow, until there was nothing left of her but bloody, tattered flesh.

"Kuroudo…" she breathed, holding him close. He didn't respond, his mind still violently turning over his repulsive desires. He knew he must not, but his body strived to make him pull her against his sinewy body and begin what she wanted them to do. His eyes met hers, and she softly gasped at how they were filled with a pleading no that slowly turned to cold resolve. Her mouth automatically bit on her lip and he watched her turn away from him, her head down.

"Reika, you must understand that this boundary that was set must not be broken. To do so would spell your death. And though I have many deaths to my name, I do not want yours to be one of them," his speech was low, explanatory and insistent, but she would not look at him.

"Reika… you are the death that will be the death of me."

Her soft grey eyes filled with ashamed tears and he heard the telling shaky intake of breath that caught into a sob. He was convinced she didn't understand while she was certain she knew and this conflicted so terribly. It strained his usually cold and unfeeling heart to hear her sound so… broken. His arms wound around her like an ensnaring spider and she gave in, turning and resting her head in the crook of his neck while she cried. Tears were unusual for her, but the tension and strain the two had been under this past week or so had reached breaking point for Reika. For him, the tension was swiftly buried and resonated in his knives, his killings becoming a release of anxiety. He briefly imagined what it would be like to mix her tears with his blood and whether it would produce the most pathetic or powerful weapons in his arsenal. The thought soon passed as Reika had stopped crying, but was resting comfortably in his arms. How had they become this way? How had they gone from two people, to something that couldn't be separated without some damage to both? He never liked to think that he would find it hard to move on from Reika if anything was to happen. As he had said, if she were to die, he believed that he would have to let himself go as well. But it was not the time to think on such things, and so he ran his hands along her back to comfort her. He felt her soft breathing and knew she was asleep. A slight smile curved his lips and he gathered her into his arms and took her to their bed. Few people knew anything about him, and those who thought they did were so far from truth it threatened to make him mirthlessly chuckle.

Laying her on the bed, he pulled back the covers from the other side and moved her into bed, covering her up. He watched her for a moment, knowing something was wrong and then realised she wasn't in her nightclothes. He frowned, unaccustomed to going through the bedroom drawers. She did so much and he gave her his love; it was simply the way they loved each other. She could be so normal, when he was anything but. Eventually he produced a negligee and that shade of a smile was back on his lips. It was short and beautifully silky, in a blue that matched her eyes exactly. He knew he could not be detected when he didn't want to be and so employed the skill as he deftly undressed her. He couldn't help but pause to gaze at her lovingly before putting the negligee on, her gentle grace present even in sleep.

Satisfied, he pulled the covers back over her and undressed for bed. He didn't care about nudity, he wasn't uncomfortable or insecure about his body, and he was the same toward others. He got into bed and rested, not needing her close to him to feel wanted. She needed her rest and he was sure she would only be worse off with him holding her. Sleep was a strange thing for Akabane; something that he felt made him weaker, but strengthened. To regain strength, you needed to put yourself in a weak position. It was a concept he did not like. His eyes drifted shut and he allowed himself to sleep, if only for a little while.

* * *

When Reika awoke, she didn't at first remember what had happened. She was content to lie and go back to sleep, but when she rolled over to see Akabane asleep her mind jolted with a flash of recollection. She didn't say anything, but looked at his stiff figure, unable to relax in sleep. His long black hair fanned out around his shoulders, his scarred torso so taut while his face was peaceful.

She thought she had failed him, but his persistence in refusing her belied something darker he was concealing. Reika didn't know completely how dark he could be, but his desire to stop what she wanted for him suggested he was hiding a grotesque part of himself that he never wanted her to see. She wanted to see all of him, but was afraid to do so. Past memories surfaced for a few stark moments before she pushed them away. He confused her so much, sometimes. It was a joy, however, to see him at peace. When he slept like this, which was rare, he was so relaxed.

Reika sat up, ever so gently because she knew Akabane was a light sleeper, and watched him for a while longer. She could never resist stroking his hair when he was like this; when he was awake she always felt a little silly as he motionlessly allowed her to stroke his hair while watching her curiously. Sometimes she wondered if they knew each other as well as they thought they did. She decided that they knew more about each other than any other person they had contact with and that was something to treasure. Reika would never say so, but she did want to marry him. She was raised in a family that didn't take kindly to 'living in sin' as they dubbed it, but the life she ended up leading didn't fit with their values. Her family's hair would probably curl if they knew about Akabane.

Quietly, she climbed out of bed and got washed and dressed. It was early morning from what she guessed as she showered. Why couldn't they just get married? They were living like a married couple, more or less, so was the step really that difficult?

"Reika… may I join you?" Reika jumped at the voice beside her ear, a small yelp escaping her lips. She heard him chuckle and knew that smile of his was on his face. She knew she should have been used to how he was undetectable when he wanted to be. He loved to make her jump, and knew the right time and place without fail. His cool hands touched her waist and she jumped at his touch, turning to face him.

"I suppose, since you're here," she replied, looping her arms around his neck. He looked at her, his eyes showing a sadness, perhaps regret – she wasn't sure. Whatever it was, she wanted to make it leave him. Lately, his more cheerful demeanour had diminished and she hoped time would resolve it.

"Are you alright, Kuroudo?" she asked over the roar of the shower that was soaking them. Akabane merely allowed his trace of a smile show, his head bowing in the manner she knew was what he did when he pulled his customary broad brimmed hat down lower on his head. She glanced at his pale hand as if expecting it to rise up to pull on an imaginary brim, but it remained on her waist, a thumb rubbing her side absently.

"I am fine. I want to make up for last night." His grip on her tightened, not painfully, and his lips captured hers. Her eyes slid shut, savouring it all; his touch, their mingling lips and tongues, the way her back now rested against the freezing cold tiles – all of it. She liked his spontaneous nature, so unlike herself. He always had that dangerous edge she couldn't resist. Physical intimacy was always a joy for her with him; she had no worries, he wasn't concerned about her body so neither was she – not that she had anything to worry about, but she still worried – she just _felt_ it all. And what she felt, she liked a lot.

Akabane could be a man of few words, and situations like these… words either couldn't be said or weren't required. He felt it was the latter, this time. He liked to please her, to make her happy. Although he enjoyed this, it never sated him in the same way killing did. Their closeness pleased him, her soft gasps and the water soaking them. It was an interesting experience. She was in his arms now, straining against him for pleasure.

"… I wish you would use me to bring you joy…" she said between breaths and his eyes widened as the problem they discussed last night came back to haunt him. His heart beat even faster as his mind became preoccupied and panicked at the thought of cutting her once more. And now with them so intimate, it would be so easy… the blood would run down the drain and no-one would know…

The shock forced him to stop and pull away, putting her back on the ground. Their breaths were ragged and now Reika stared worriedly at him as he went to leave. He halted the urge to produce knives and threaten when she grabbed his wrist and pulled him back to face her.

"Don't do that! Speak to me! I'm sorry for what I said, but is it so bad!" she shouted, her voice bouncing off the shower walls, making her voice even louder. Akabane held her eyes, cold and unfeeling on the outside, but a roiling mass of desire, anger and fear. Reika knew he was angry in some way, because he hated to air his feelings and fell deathly silent, content to quietly grunt or merely glare.

"… Stop asking me to cut you. You are begging for me to kill you. Do you want me to kill you?" His last sentence was more of a growl and her grey eyes widened as he stepped closer to her, producing a fistful of knives from under his flesh. She had seen him do it before, but with his more menacing behaviour and nakedness she was put on alert. The knives drew near and she squeezed her eyes shut. Why did she want him to be happy so badly?

The knives lightly caressed her skin and she shivered. It was just as he thought she would react. The anger he felt surged and fell away in an instant, his senses regained. The knives immediately disappeared back into his flesh and his pale hands rested on Reika's shoulders. What had he been thinking getting that close to what she wanted for him?

"Reika, I am truly sorry. Do you see now? I am… different in that situation. I do not want to place you in that situation, for you would die." He kept his words short, still peering at her in hope of being reconciled. Reika did not move at first, but slowly her hand reached out and turned the shower off. Akabane closed his eyes, knowing she was lost to him.

His hands fell from her shoulders and she slipped past him, away from his sight. He exited the shower and watched her pull on a cream dressing gown too big for her – one of his, he guessed, though he wasn't in the habit of wearing them – then leave.

For once in his life, he had no idea what to do. She had been badly shaken, he was certain of that, but didn't know what to do about it. Should he try to comfort her, or tell her it wasn't her fault, that she didn't know? Was this one moment in their lives going to ruin their relationship? What would he do without her? He was thinking too much, but he couldn't stop the tumbling thoughts in his head. He was used to being cool and collected, but with her it tended to be thrown off. He wasn't sure whether he liked this or not, but… he loved her. Why did he love her, and what could he do to patch it all up again?

* * *

She was a fool. A stupid, girlish fool. He had told her, hadn't he? And she hadn't listened to him, thinking he just didn't want to harm her. She knew it had the potential of going wrong, but she never thought things through properly. She had never taken into account what it would feel like to have those knives pressed against her when she was so vulnerable, or the change in Akabane's demeanour. He lived in two worlds, each with their own pleasures and to try and combine them was folly. She knew this now. And she was scared how he had been, a type of anger she had never seen from him before. He was trying to scare her off from it, but the demonstration was more than enough to terrify her for a long time. Those knives were so close…

It wasn't as if she didn't trust him – she did, explicitly – but he was a different person in that shower with the blades in his hand. His eyes had watched her more like prey than his lover and it really had shaken her badly to see him like that. She didn't know what to do, or how he'd react right then. It staggered her to be unsure about Akabane.

Reika sighed, briefly glancing at her gently shaking hands, and then left the bedroom to sit in the living room. As she went to sit down, a hand wrapped around her mouth and her eyes went wide.

"Help!" she tried to scream, but it was muffled. It couldn't be Akabane – she had left him in the shower, and the muzzle of a gun digging in her ribs wasn't his style. Reika was terrified – it was only natural – but a part of her felt okay, that she knew Akabane would save her. The thoughts tumbled through her head, sluicing her mind with chilling memories of days long gone by. The memories of meeting the man who would eventually become her lover.

'_Kuroudo…'_

* * *

**AN: **Hello! This is my first GB story. I'm big on Dr Jackal, I'm afraid. I want to look at his character, so this came along. I just wanna see what people think. Hope you enjoyed! Cat Alex out for the count.


	2. A Look At The Beginning

**Chapter Two: A Look at the Beginning**

Akabane knew immediately something was wrong when he heard a tripping noise from the living room. Reika wasn't any clumsier than anyone else, but there was nothing to trip on. His senses piqued, he slithered out of the bathroom and climbed into some clothes. If she was harmed, people would die. Not that at the time, he was extremely concerned. He was just being careful. Maybe she had fallen over and hurt herself. Some darker part of him knew different. The air felt wrong.

Clothed and primed with a fistful of knives, he stalked his way into the living room.

* * *

_The sun had been dazzling that day, which wasn't common in Autumn. She had been working in the little boutique she loved, even if it didn't pay well. She had felt so happy, so cheerful that afternoon. It was such a good day she had even entertained the idea of skipping, but decided that at twenty-four she was a little too old. The different coloured leaves of orange, russet and sickly warm yellow swirled about the street, making her small smile broaden._

_Reika Hiroto had never expected to be held as a bargaining chip by anybody. One silly busy street and her entire life had changed course. _

_Forever._

* * *

Her breathing felt abnormal. She knew she was panicking, but there was nothing to do about it. Once more, she got to be held hostage. It hadn't been fun the first time, and it certainly wasn't looking anymore promising this time. The man wasn't as smooth as the previous guy – the butt of the gun was pressed into her side like he was afraid. She wished she could see him, or get him to remove his hand from her mouth, so she could perhaps plead for him to let her go. If Akabane got a chance to hurt the man, he would be as good as dead.

"Dr Jackal! I got your little girlfriend here. You come out, or she dies. Three seconds!" he shouted and she winced. She hated inconsiderate captors; she was inches away from him.

"I am here. Let her go." Akabane came from the shadows, his voice low and dangerous. A shiver ran down Reika's spine, but she wasn't sure why; perhaps it was the way her lover looked, so calmly fierce, or that he still scared her after that shower incident. She didn't care at that moment – the gun was keeping her mind frozen.

"Hah, you think I'm stupid? I let her go, you'll kill me. Don't you dare move! You leave my sight, she's dead. Understand?" the stranger growled and Akabane's eyes fell briefly to Reika's before returning to the gun wielding man.

"I understand you perfectly, though if you were clever then you would have not come here in the first place. Now what do you want?" Akabane replied. Reika noticed how his hands disappeared casually behind his back, or slid into the sleeves of his long coat. She prayed the man didn't notice this, because it was a sure sign he had prepared knives to throw when the opportunity arose. She realised she was unconsciously holding her breath and quietly released it, her eyes watching worriedly for the situation to resolve.

"Don't you dare talk to me like that! You killed my brother! You think you can just walk from that without me getting revenge for him? Look at this," the man hissed, dropping the gun just as his other hand released Reika's mouth only for a knife to slide into his hand and rest over her chest. She audibly heard her own breath inhale in terror, while Akabane's eyes hardened.

"You recognise it? It's yours. I kept it after I took it from my dead brother's chest. I was going to kill you with it, but I think this is more fitting. Now you can watch her die, like I had to watch him."

Reika was too focused on the knife in the man's hand to see Akabane throw a knife past her to create a distraction. He had timed it well, the man too wrapped up in his speech of pain and vengeance to pay meticulous attention to Akabane's careful motions.

The man automatically turned to look and Akabane struck, hurling his deadly weapons with precision. The man noticed a split second before too late and raised the knife, plunging it wildly into Reika's chest before falling down. He was dead, a trail of knives forming the outline of where he'd held Reika.

"Reika!"

She didn't know how to react – she'd never been stabbed before. Her instincts took over and she emitted an animalistic howl as she folded up and fell to the ground, curling into the foetal position. Her hands scrabbled to cover the wound heaving blood out, not noticing the tears streaming down her face. Akabane was beside her in an instant, forcing her to remove her hands so he could assess the damage. He wasn't called Dr Jackal for nothing – his title was no lie. The knife was still there – she had pressed her hands around the blade, but could have pushed it in further if she hadn't of been lucky. In a split second he knew what must be done.

"Reika, I'm going to absorb this knife so it will hurt less. It won't be painful if I absorb it," he said, trying to keep his voice level. Remnants of his old profession as a doctor were beginning to come back to him. It had been many years since he used his skills as a doctor to save life, though some parts of his days as a doctor stuck fast – he never could shift his cordial bedside mannerisms; even when preparing to butcher people. He wasn't sure she even heard him through the pain and so didn't wait for her to answer, instead placing his right hand onto the handle of the knife. Slowly, he pushed his hand into the knife but it disappeared into his skin as naturally as a diving bird swooping into a body of water. Within five seconds it was gone and he could place his own hands over the wound, utilising his strength to stem the blood better.

"Kuroudo… Thank you…" her voice sounded strange; not weak, but addled, as if she was simply dizzy or drunk. Her body and mind was in shock, both unsure how to deal with the situation. Akabane shook his head, refusing to listen to her and instead locked his eyes with hers. He looked more grave than she'd ever seen him and her mind became attentive.

"Cover the wound and put as much pressure on it as possible. We're going to the hospital. I will get you there quickly." He held a promise in his eyes that filled her with faith. She believed in him in that moment and settled on the task at hand. It helped her keep a grip on the world, even when her mind screamed to sleep, or give up.

"I trust you," she whispered and he didn't reply. He picked her up and ran.

* * *

"_This girl gets it if those bastard Transporters that took my cargo don't show up!" the man screamed to the police officers blockading the streets. Reika didn't scream, despite her mouth being uncovered; she just trembled as if the first winter breezes had hit her hard. She didn't know what to do, whether it would be sensible to try and run for it. It wasn't as if she was in any pain – the man held her comfortably so she wasn't hurt but well in the knowledge that if she tried anything he would snake around her until she couldn't even think of moving again. _

_That meant running wasn't an option. So she had to rely on these 'Transporters' the man holding her mentioned to help her._

"_Okay. We will get these 'Transporters' – just don't hurt the girl!" the police replied, exchanging worried glances Reika couldn't see properly with her slightly off eyesight. _

"_Who are these 'Transporters'?" asked a sheepish policeman and the man growled out a laugh._

"_Dr Jackal and Lady Poison. Those two took my cargo!" he yelled and then slightly tightened his grip on Reika, making her squeak._

_She hoped those two 'Transporters' would get here quick and free her. Before this guy got bored of waiting and decided a little warning would help things along… _

* * *

He knew she was in pain as he gracefully hurtled toward the nearest hospital. Every so often he would check on her to find her a little lucid, or passed out completely. Her hands mostly kept pressure on the wound, but he couldn't be sure. It was too early in the morning for many people to be about and the streets had that milky dawn sunlight washing the hazy streets in gold. He felt strange to be dashing about in the morning, instead of at night, but that man had decided to cross paths with him then. The fact that Reika was implicated was what irked him most. She didn't deserve this.

It was strange, the feeling deep in his heart and gut. Love and anxiety mixed with an intense desire for her to live. When he had seen so much blood and life drain away from a person, with her… when it was her, he would do anything in the world to stop her life from leaving her, to keep her alive. The whole world's life if it meant she was okay. It was a ridiculous thought, but he couldn't override his feelings with reason.

The glow of the hospital came into view and his eyes hardened now his path was clear. He saw her blood was soaking into the thick dressing gown, the wound no longer being pressured enough and hurried on, so close now.

A minute later in the relatively quiet hospital, the automatic doors swished open and the receptionist looked over to find a tall man clothed all in black clutching a figure swathed in a thick cream and red robe. To the woman's horror, she quickly realised the red was blood and she pressed the emergency call button.

"She needs immediate attention," the dark haired man informed her, "she was attacked by a man with a knife."

The woman nodded just as one of the large swing doors burst open and a crash trolley was rushed by surrounded by doctors and nurses. They carried on, the person on it deathly pale and the noise of the trolley and the shouting doctors and nurses began to fade. Akabane was just considering storming into the emergency room and calmly threatening a doctor when there was another loud clatter and another team of doctors and nurses tumbled in, rushing with a crash trolley towards Akabane and the receptionist.

"Lay her down – we'll see to her now," the first doctor commanded, pointing sharply from Akabane to the trolley. He complied, though narrowed his eyes at her tone and the rushed off immediately, leaving him with the receptionist.

"All you can do is wait, I'm afraid," the receptionist said with a helpless smile. Akabane gave her a passing look before seating himself on one of the uncomfortable blue plastic chairs and folded his arms.

"Let us hope I don't get bored," he said cheerfully, his demeanour darkening greatly. He knew his words were hollow; he couldn't hope to get bored when he knew in the building Reika could be dying. Waiting was something he could do, if there was only a reward at the end. His partner's survival at the end of waiting was more than sufficient for him.

He eyed a pile of outdated magazines and newspapers ruefully before settling his gaze straight ahead at a pale green wall and did not move an inch.

* * *

"_What a delightfully interesting situation," the tall dark haired man said, his dark blue eyes focused on her in the man's arms. The police were clearly edgy, but Reika had no idea of the two Transporters histories. Of course, anyone only had to look at the man dressed in a long black suit and feel some kind of foreboding. Reika felt that foreboding the minute she set eyes on him, but something else stirred, something unnameable and almost… disturbing. Her heart jumped when his eyes connected with hers and they held each other's gaze. Her heart now pounded as his cold eyes held onto her grey ones for a moment longer before trailing back to his partner and then the police._

"_Lady Poison, we should return the man's cargo," the long haired man continued, facing his companion, who looked rather disgruntled._

"_Jackal, why should we? We did our job – it's not our problem when some woman decides to get herself kidnapped," the girl called Lady Poison replied sharply and Reika's eyes went wide. She immediately looked to the man called Jackal in the hope he would take pity on her and rescue her. His eyes moved back to her gaze as soon as she looked at him and she tried to communicate all she could with her eyes._

'Please,'_ her eyes begged_, 'Save me.'

_Jackal watched her thoughtfully for another minute before nodding to Lady Poison._

"_Give it to him," he commanded and Lady Poison scowled, but complied, shoving the package into the middle ground of the hostage situation. Reika held her breath without realising and slowly released it, waiting for her captor to make a move._

_Her captor began shuffling her toward the package, his grip firm bordering on tight around her waist and mouth. Her eyes wouldn't leave Jackal's; he made her heart pound, but gave her some comfort. She decided it was because he was so calm about the whole situation. If things went wrong, she instinctively felt he would handle the situation with ease._

_Her captor got closer to the package, until he suddenly froze and released her, beginning to slump to the floor. Reika was surprised at this sudden turnaround and didn't move, scared he would get up and threaten her once more._

"_I've used my Puppet scent on him – run, you idiot!" Lady Poison snapped and Reika jerked forward, only to fall to the ground when a hand wrapped tightly around her ankle. She cried out as her face scraped on the concrete and looked down at her ankle to find the man who took her hostage holding on to her, his eyes blazing._

"_You little bitch – you're not getting away from me!" he bellowed, climbing to his feet and dragging her leg up with him. Reika was just about to kick when Jackal showed up, looking extremely calm._

"_I would advise you to release the lady," he said pleasantly, a set of scalpels appearing in between his fingers. Reika gasped at the situation she was stuck in and her instincts began to kick in. She kicked her leg wildly; the desperate urge to run away gripping her like insanity. The man yelled when her shoe connected with the side of his face and her leg was freed. He lunged forward and she cried out when his fist smashed her in the head. Blackness gripped her sight briefly, then the world faded into black._

"… _That was an impressive blow she took to the skull. Do you think she will be alright?" a strangely pleasant voice questioned and their companion gruffly snorted._

"_She'll be a damn sight better than that man you unnecessarily shredded, Jackal," Lady Poison replied as the world began to return to Reika. Jackal chuckled, seemingly jaunty and cheered by the hostage man's death, and Reika lolled her head to one side before slowly opening her eyes._

_She found herself still lying on the concrete, her head facing Jackal's crouched form. His now cheery eyes watched her with faint amusement in their depths and Reika wondered what was going on. Then things began to come back to her and she felt sick._

"_He's… dead?" she asked quietly and Jackal nodded._

"_He shouldn't have been so foolish. Plus, it's wrong to take innocent people hostages," Jackal replied factually and stood. He bent over and offered her a hand encased in a surgical glove. Reika eyed it suspiciously, but took it. He pulled her up with ease, but an unpleasant head rush enveloped her and her sight darkened while her legs gave way. When she gathered her mind and body together, she found she was in Jackal's sinewy arms._

"_Interesting…" he murmured and her heart jolted. Who was this man that intrigued her so?_

* * *

Reika came to with painfully strong hospital lights shining down on her. She wondered what was going on, when piece by piece the events of the day came to her. Her hands twitched and immediately began to search for the wound on her chest, but two firm cool hands wrapped around her own hands and placed them beside her body.

"I would not advise that, Reika. They have only just put you back together," the deep voice of Akabane came from beside her. She moved her head left to the source of the voice and saw him sitting, watching her carefully. To a casual observer, Akabane appeared cool bordering on disinterested, but Reika could see in the depths of his navy eyes there was a light of worry that gave a haunted quality to his eyes. But even she was unsure sometimes about whether she interpreted Akabane correctly, especially since he wasn't in the habit of telling her exactly how he felt.

"Kuroudo…" she tried to say, but her throat felt raw, her lungs stifled. Akabane noted her expression immediately and his hand linked with hers in an attempt to comfort her.

"Hush… you were lucky only to puncture a lung. It could have been fatal, my dear," Akabane told her and Reika smiled, her eyes drifting shut. She was content to listen to him and try to keep up a conversation, and anyway the light was hurting her eyes.

"If you hadn't of distracted him, it would have been fatal," she croaked and she heard Akabane sigh. His fingers restlessly trailed up and down her hand and she knew something was bothering him.

"If I hadn't been there, you would have died. If I wasn't around you, you wouldn't be put into situations like that. You were not far off from death, Reika," he said stonily, his hand still on hers. She made the effort to open her eyes and found him watching her intently. His gaze slipped away and Reika could almost see him think, his expression preoccupied. She hated it when he began to go down these lines.

"I won't be happy if you leave. I want you to stay. In all the time we've been together, he was the first person to ever find us," she reason with him, her eyes slipping shut once more. Akabane sighed heavily, clearly unconvinced. His hand began to caress her hand again and Reika smiled, glad for the sensation of his touch to distract her from the wild itching the stitches on her chest were beginning to exude, not to mention the pain in her right lung.

"We may have to move," he said lightly and Reika ignored him, instead thinking on something else. She was already beginning to tire.

"Kuroudo… talk to me. About anything – just distract me from the pain until I sleep." Reika remained still, wondering whether he heard her soft words. She heard him shift in his chair, his hands ceasing to caress her own anymore, but still held the comfortingly.

"Alright, I shall tell you a story," he said, then fell silent. Reika wondered what he was doing – was he thinking up a tale, or maybe choosing something of his own life to tell her about? She knew some of his life, but it was vague and Akabane had a habit of keeping things to himself. Reika had a feeling that even he wasn't sure about some of the facts of his life.

"Hmm, I have one. There once was a man who lived in a tower. It wasn't a particularly nice tower, but it was powerful, in its own way. There the man found himself surrounded in power – the area in which he and the others with him lived held status and power, the technology around which they lived had great influence over the area and the people themselves each had their own unusual and unique powers.

"In this tower, the man became terribly bored. Every day was more or less the same. He did not know how long he'd been there, but it felt to him like an appallingly long time. Boredom to him was akin to the most painful torture known to man, for to be bored was to have nothing to do and the mind had a habit of letting the man down in entertainment. The rules of the upper part of the tower in which he lived stated that he was not allowed to do things that he would greatly love to do. Also this meant that the power he possessed could not be tested, and he was intrigued to see how much power he really held. So one day he grew tired of his home's routine and left without even a goodbye, because he detested them. And when he left…" Akabane paused in his story to look at Reika. Her face that had been slightly taut with pain had relaxed and her breathing was measured and calm. He gave a faint smile and gently disentangled his hands from hers, careful to place her hands by her sides.

"… he killed as far as the eye could see," he finished, his eyes warmed with reminiscing.

"And he still hasn't met his match, even to this very day, hour, minute and second." His voice became detached and he sat back in his chair, his eyes roaming around the small room which Reika was kept. She was plugged into quite a few machines, each with their own soft buzzing and blips that kept Akabane distracted for a few minutes. Pain killing machines, monitors and other devices he couldn't name crowded around Reika's bedside. Akabane began to feel strange, but he couldn't put a name to his feelings. He had the urge to pull Reika close, the feel her, taste her, smell her. His thoughts drifted to back when he had first met her, that peculiar day when a transportation job had gone decidedly wrong. It had been strange to meet someone who he had felt some kind of connection with. Perhaps it had been the way she had held his eyes and no-one else's, that it was only him she would silently beg to. Even when she had come to, she had only looked to him. There had definitely been something tantalising about that. A small smile spread on his lips as he recalled her falling against him; His arms carefully steadying her against him. He had found her interesting, he could never deny that. When she had fallen against him, though he did steady her, he did take the opportunity to hold her to him. Akabane had delighted in feeling her heart pound like a startled animal, knowing he had caused it.

Even now, Akabane could not explain exactly how he had ended up with Reika as his partner. It was a strange fate at work; a series of events, mixed with a certain chemistry between the two which led to what they had become presently. But something was wrong, Akabane now realised, something didn't sit right with him. He felt wrong inside and it was starting to nag at him, unable to articulate it. He had the urge to wake Reika and talk to her, but left her alone. Whatever was disturbing his thoughts had a root and he could find it. He knew he had a thorough nature, which could allow for him to get to the bottom of near enough anything and that it came from his past as a doctor. Still, he didn't like to dwell on his past. He knew of it, but still parts of it he wasn't sure about. He turned his mind back to the feeling.

When had this feeling begun? Akabane's mind serenely drifted back in time, carefully tracing his every thought and movement with relative ease. He found himself frowning when he found the nagging feeling had begun after Reika's injury. Was she the cause of it? Was it the feeling of pre-emptive loss he found himself suffering before he even knew her prognosis?

"Interesting…" Akabane murmured. His skin shivered slightly while his gaze now rested on Reika's sleeping face. It was the clawing feeling of time running out. The knowledge that all things must end, at least that she would end while he may live on. The unbearable feeling of loss at this unshakeable knowledge. The unspoken step to marriage felt positively easy in the face of this knowledge. A smile once more flitted onto Akabane's lips. This is what he wanted, he realised.

He settled down, now content and wished he had his hat with him. The urge to pull the brim down to shade his eyes was beginning to nag at him. He instead allowed his hands to fidget, making up games to play with them. His mind was too focused on important things, and so was almost useless at keeping entertained when there was nothing to do. If there was anything that could kill him, Akabane mused, it was probably boredom.

"Kuroudo…" Reika murmured and Akabane immediately leaned forward, his attention grabbed.

"Yes, Reika?" he replied, his eyes watching her carefully. She did not open her eyes, but her hands were slowly moving to rest on her stomach. Her face was still, save her lips which twitched into a brief smile.

"You didn't finish your story, did you?"

"I'm afraid I did, Reika. You must have fallen asleep. It wasn't a particularly interesting story. Are you sure you don't want to go back to sleep? You haven't been resting for very long," he said, concern embedded in his gentle tone of voice. Reika stiffly sighed, her lung clearly bothering her, and slowly moved her head so she faced Akabane. Her eyes opened and immediately focused on him, sleepy but perfectly aware.

"I'm sorry. Everything is going wrong, isn't it?" she said sadly, her eyes drifting shut again. Akabane tilted his head for a moment before relaxing. His path seemed clear to him.

"I don't know. Things have become rather clear for me," he said causally, waiting to see her reaction. Her eyes slowly opened again, clearly curious.

"What do you mean?" she asked, not shifting her gaze. Akabane shrugged leaning forward a little and a cheerful smile appeared on his face.

"Your near death experience opened me to the facts of life from which I had ignored. Through this experience I have realised that I want to marry you," he said calmly. He looked to her to wait for a reaction. Reika's eyes began to slowly widen.

"What?" she said disbelievingly and Akabane's smile widened. He loved surprises.


	3. A Look At One Man

**AN: **I would just like to thank those who reviewed me, because you guys really cheered me on! Thank you so much! I'm glad people aren't seeing Reika as a Mary-Sue – I certainly didn't want her to be one. Another main aim with Reika, was that I didn't want her to convert Akabane to 'good' or make him repent for anything he had done. She has to accept him for who he is - he'll always be the way he is. Akabane is easily my favourite character in GB, and I love the fact he will work with whoever – in his mind, he isn't a bad guy. I can't explain it – you guys probably understand what I mean. As for Ban and Ginji… I don't know. I may include them later on – this story isn't really meant to be super long. We'll see where it goes. Anyway, enjoy!

**Chapter Three: A Look at One Man**

"It's just as I said before. I want to marry you. I would like you to say yes, but of course I shouldn't try to influence your choice," Akabane answered, his teasing nature coming through was ease. He simply couldn't help himself. Reika was still staring at him as if he had been replaced with some crazy version of himself, which only served to amuse him even more.

"… I died, didn't I? This is something in the afterlife to mess me around," Reika said faintly, her mouth opening slightly to breathe. Akabane kept his small cheery smile on his lips, still amused with Reika's disbelief. He took his hands into hers and she stared at him, almost willing him to confess the truth.

"A yes or a no would be a good indicator of your choice," he replied helpfully and Reika looked up at the ceiling, anxiety beginning to tug at her face. Akabane became concerned with her actions, but waited patiently for her to say something.

"How did we go from near death to marriage? I'm all… confused and worried now," she turned her head to him, "What changed between me resting for a little while and waking up again?"

Akabane contemplated the question put before him. A chain of thoughts and feelings had led him to the conclusion that he wanted to marry Reika before it was too late. He also had realised in the time frame she specified that he had actually been thinking about marriage for a while, but in little chunks and never properly, or with serious thought. Reika's injury had been a trigger in his mind that allowed him to consider the matter clearly and reach the truth of his heart. If he had a heart, since many believed him to be an inhuman monster. An inhuman monster proposing. He chuckled quietly and Reika watched Akabane with interest.

"I had been thinking about it here and there for some time, but I believed if you became too close, you were at risk of being hurt because of my line of work. Your injury showed me that this was indeed true, but I was keeping you as close as any wife without actually going through with marriage. This led me to the conclusion that marriage seemed like another step, but it isn't really. I will keep you close, danger be damned, and try to protect you as best as I can. I can only hope that you will put yourself in danger to be with me like you already have for all this time. Do you see what I mean?" he explained. Reika looked at him, her lips tilted up with happiness. Her smile was weak, but radiated teary joy.

"I never believed you would say it, Kuroudo," she whispered, "but my answer is yes. I will stupidly put myself in danger to be with you. But you better protect me, because if something like this happens again… I won't be able to take it anymore."

Akabane solemnly nodded. He was well aware that he would never allow something like this to happen again, just as he was aware that as much as Reika did love him, she would not stand for being put into this position again. It was a sad situation, but Akabane knew that if she was injured like this in the future, he would have to let her go. His chest twinged at the thought, but he ignored it. This was a happy occasion. He leant forward and chastely kissed her. Reika smiled through the kiss, knowing how Akabane hated public displays of affection. She herself wasn't fond of it, but she needed this one kiss. In her mind, it sealed a promise. She would live to be married.

* * *

_Dr Jackal stalked the night streets. His mind was focused on the job at hand – transport a valuable diamond to the address his client gave. He had been paid half, but he wasn't interested. If he wasn't attacked by a hoard of diamond thieves, he may become bored. And if he became bored… well, he simply hoped that wouldn't happen. Boredom was intolerable._

_He strolled along without hardly a care in the world, when a shadow slipped away from the darkness and followed Jackal. A smile curved the lips of Jackal. Finally his wavering interest in his task was renewed._

"_You want the diamond, yes?" Jackal said, turning suddenly, sending his long black coat swirling in the light breeze. He found himself confronted with a man in his late twenties. His eyes were like obsidian and hard. The man's gaze emanated intense anger, but Jackal didn't recognise him. Jackal waited for the man to make a move, but he just stood, glaring at him as the half moon lit a faint path between the two._

"_Give me it," the man finally said and Jackal produced a fistful of scalpels in one hand._

"_You must try to take it. It is part of the challenge," Jackal calmly replied, his own eyes deadening as he focused on what was about to take place. It was such a simple game, with such bloody consequences. His personal favourite._

_The man growled and went as if to charge, but remained in place. Curious, Jackal waited to see the man's move. The man smirked and produced a vial before hurling at Akabane. He slashed it before it hit him in the chest and the liquid splashed across his chest and onto his hands. The night was still and Jackal waited for something to happen. He began to feel discomfort with his surgical gloves and looked down to find his gloves sizzling and dissolving, soon followed by his skin._

"_What an unusual form of attack," Jackal remarked, watching the chemical burn into his flesh. He was in pain, but pain was nothing to him – it merely kept him focused and interested in the world. He could feel the chemical, which he assumed to be some form of acid, mix with his blood and an amused smile crept onto his face once more._

"_You do know that pain means little to me? I have waited for a worthy opponent to test my skills for many years now. I must admit I am somewhat an optimist – I have faith in every opponent that they will test me. Sadly, I have always been let down," Jackal said, producing an unusual scalpel in his other hand. The dark eyed man watched, but soon cried out when a scalpel found its mark in his chest. The wound soon sizzled and burned like the very same chemical in his vial and he began to howl in pain._

"_Mixing anything with my blood is sure to produce a weapon to turn against you. I had faith in you, but I am once more disappointed. My interest was held for some minutes though and I thank you for that. Good evening," Jackal said coldly and turned his heel, continuing his journey to his client's address without a backwards glance. _

_The man continued to howl for some time before the cry turned to a stomach turning gurgling and then there was a cold silence. In the night a man walked alone while a girl watched, horrified, but also transfixed in awe.

* * *

_

Akabane said goodbye to Reika for a few hours while he attended to the house and, more importantly, the body they had left behind. Akabane was still debating whether it was necessary to move to another apartment. It wouldn't be very difficult to do so, but it had been a home for him for some time. Not that it concerned him; he believed that Reika would be rather put out losing her home, yet it looked like it would have to be done.

When he entered the apartment, he wasn't surprised to find the would-be killer's body lying sprawled backwards on the floor with a line of Akabane's scalpels buried in him. Blood had spread a fair way from the body, yet it wasn't the fact that the whole situation could be easily remedied – it was the fact that the memory of the event would linger.

He was sure Reika wouldn't be able to enter this building again without the memories of this event coming back to haunt her and so began to clear the body up. It was a methodical procedure and he was thankful that the man had chosen their black stone flooring on which to die on. Calmly, he disposed on the body in the Underground Shinjuku area and began to make investigations into a new apartment to live in.

He allowed his mind to drift back to days gone by, when this apartment wasn't shared, but simply hers. Akabane used to have a place of his own, but it was simply to take a quick rest before moving on to his next job. Reika's apartment had become a place he found himself visiting more and more…

* * *

"_So, when did you get that tattoo?" she asked nervously as he sat on the bed shirtless, seemingly at ease with the situation. Her eyes had focused on the tattoo, otherwise she would have never been able to draw her eyes away from the scars dotted about his body. She wasn't sure what he would do if she mentioned the large scarred line trailing from just beside his left shoulder down his chest, so she pretended they weren't there._

"_I have no idea, but I believe it is a sign that I used to have another life before the one I have now," he answered thoughtfully, briefly brushing a long pale finger across the black design. His eyes held memories, or the thought of memories connected to the mark, but she didn't dare mention it. She had seen how he could be; his dark nature and the thought of provoking him sent chills through her body. Not that he had been anything but a gentleman to her, but she still couldn't get the image of him killing a man from her mind. She came out of her thoughts to see he was watching her intently._

"_Are you alright?" he enquired, his dark blue eyes never shifting from hers. Concern crossed her face, but she nervously buried it and sat beside him, her hands automatically fidgeting. He still kept his eyes on her, clear amusement on his face and she could feel her face growing hot._

"_I'm fine… Kuroudo." He raised a questioning eyebrow at her pause. She turned her head slightly away, not knowing what to say. Everything had become so… intense. Here they were, in her bedroom, him half undressed and her wearing a nightdress. He had visited her in the night, one of the most common times they saw each other. He didn't have blood on him, but she instinctively knew he had done something; something wrong. And here he was, and things sort of, well, happened. There was something about the two of them together, a chemistry. Not that anything had really happened. He had just mentioned that his shirt was damp from the rain outside and she had said that he could dry it on the radiator without thinking. It was only when he was taking it off that it dawned on her that perhaps it hadn't been such a good idea. Akabane wasn't in the least bothered by the situation; he appeared perfectly at home wherever he was._

_She was still thinking of something to say to him and wondering how this whole situation was going to turn out, when his hand wrapped around hers and placed her hand on the large scar down his chest. Her breath caught in her throat as she turned her wide grey eyes on him._

"_I thought the direct way could sort this problem out," he explained calmly and she stuttered, her mind blank for ideas._

"_P-problem? What p-problem?"_

_A small smile crossed his lips as he guided her hand down the large scar. It felt, to her, not exactly rough but definitely not smooth. It was reddish and somewhat indented into his skin. I felt strange being this close to him, especially with his eyes locked with hers and that small smile on his lips. He then guided her hand over to the almost star shaped scars where his chest and arms met. It went on this way until they covered every scar on his torso, arms and hands. It was overwhelmingly intimate – almost too much for her to stand. Then, when they had finished, he let her hand slip out of his firm grip and they remained silent._

_After a minute she shyly turned to face him._

"_Where should we go from here?" she questioned and his smile broadened.

* * *

_

Reika awoke again this time to find a doctor looming over her, checking her IV and she jumped. The doctor smiled and backed off, giving her a nod.

"You had a very close call, Miss Hiroto," the man said in a congenial manner and Reika eyed him suspiciously. She didn't like doctors when they were putting on their bedside manner, rather than just behaving how they felt. It made her feel uncomfortably like being a child again. She tried to shrug, but the pain in her chest made her cringe and lift her hand to her wound. The doctor immediately came closer, inspecting the puncture in her chest.

"You'll live. Another life saved, right?" he said before departing and Reika felt uncomfortably like she was getting déjà vu. She turned her head away to peer at the window, but she couldn't see out; it was too high. Reika sighed, hoping Akabane would get back soon, hopefully bringing something to entertain her. The story she didn't remember him finishing was occasionally turning in her mind; she was nearly certain that it was drawn from his life, but it was difficult to piece together the mystery that was Kuroudo Akabane.

'_Reika Akabane,'_ she thought idly before lying prone. She wished she could sleep on her side, but any movement of her body resulted in a sharp stabbing pain in her chest where the knife had plunged. The drugs they pumped into her IV overtook once more and she drifted back into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

"_Doctor! Doctor! Help!" a man shouted and Akabane looked up to see a man stumble through his doors holding a boy covered in blood._

"_Lay him here," Akabane said, motioning to the examination bed and the man hurried over and put the boy down. Akabane sprung into action, pulling on a pair of surgical gloves and looking over the boy's torso for a wound._

"_What happened?" Akabane asked urgently, briefly glancing at the man._

"_Please, Dr Akabane… he was pierced by a tree branch while riding. I… I took the branch out while he was out cold," the man gabbled, floundering off to the side of Akabane. Akabane pulled over his surgical tray and began to work on the puncture in the boy's chest._

"_That was a rather silly thing to do," he replied calmly, cleaning the wound out before beginning to try and stem the bleeding and seal the wound. He was aware he was the only doctor for miles in the secluded village in which he lived and easily capable of working on serious wounds, but still… if people were going to be foolish…_

_He let the thought slide as he worked, careful to ensure there was no more internal bleeding before stitching the outer wound. He was tired and now his white coat was bloody, but the boy would live. _

"_He should live. Another life saved," Akabane said shortly, pulling his gloves off and dumping them into the bin. He suddenly felt frustrated; something wanted to come out, but he didn't know what. A hand twitched, fumbling for something that wasn't there._

_One day he hoped he could find what was missing in his soul.

* * *

_

The new apartment sorted, Akabane headed back to the hospital. His mind was teeming with memories that were beginning to irritate him; none of them he personally recalled with clarity. The fact he knew them to be true was making him frown. A frowning Akabane was both unusual and deadly for anyone near. It was rare to see the man exhibit any kind of emotion publicly.

He had been a doctor. Something had happened to him – something bad. When had woken up, he had been… different. He had felt something under his skin, something that hadn't been there before, but felt deliciously _right_. The other doctors told him he had become something horribly wrong, somehow assimilating the scalpels they were using to try and save him. They thought he had died, but then he had been fine. More than fine.

Akabane walked down the streets calmly, his frown fading. His memories were beginning to sink into familiar territory. Those doctors had wanted to perform tests on him, to see how he survived the accident that had left massive scarring on his upper body. He refused and left, feeling fine, if a little sharp inside. And that's when he remembered that the doctors had left scalpels in him. When he had got home, he had stared at his hands for a long time until some unknown feeling stirred within him and slowly, but surely, a blade slid out from between two knuckles. He had smiled his first clinically cold smile then. And then the doctors were so interested in seeing him again, they contacted people to bring him in and he had to leave his life behind. That was when he had gone to Infinity Fortress. And like so many others, he just _had_ to see what was up there in the fabled Babylon City. And unlike so many others, he managed it with ease and the members of Babylon City greeted him as one of their own. It had been fine until staying up there changed him into something darker than he had originally been. The restriction of being held up there, unable to do what he wanted had begun to weigh more and more on his mind each day.

The automatic doors swished open and Akabane wandered in, heading straight to where Reika was being held until she got better. She lay like her usual deathly still self, asleep again and he drew up a seat beside her and sat, waiting patiently to tell her what had been done. His mind wandered over the memories that were coming back to him. Akabane had a nasty feeling being in the hospital was the cause of what he was experiencing. He did not like hospitals in the least and would not have to enter one, usually. Reika had been the cause of the trouble he was suffering, but he did not mind, for now. If his past coming back to him were to cause problems, then he wasn't sure what he would do.

"Kuroudo…" her voice faintly breathed and he snapped his gaze to her. A trace of a smile was on her lips, drowsiness clear on her features.

"Reika, are you alright?" he asked, his eyes narrowing. She blinked a few times before turning her head to the IV hanging above her to the side.

"They redid that and then I was tired, so I went to sleep," she explained dully, her eyes clouded. Akabane frowned and was on alert. He stood and smoothly went around her bed to inspect the IV. Carefully reading its contents he was almost satisfied when he noticed another connection to the IV line and followed it with cold eyes to see a syringe hanging out of the connection. He calmly turned to Reika and she watched him with interest.

"Is everything alright?" she asked and Akabane met her eyes with his own blank gaze.

"Don't worry – I just have to talk to one of the doctors," he said pleasantly, but it sounded hollow in his ears. Reika appeared too drowsy to argue and nodded before returning to sleep. He watched her for only a moment before disappearing into the corridors.

There was something wrong here, he decided as he stalked to the nearest examination room. He had to find that doctor who checked on her. Akabane had a feeling the for some reason Reika had been drugged. Why, he had no idea. But whoever planned this would pay dearly.

He glanced through the window of a room to see a familiar looking doctor fiddling with a syringe and Akabane felt his skin prickle with anticipation. Who would have thought he would have gained pleasure in a hospital?

Smoothly, he entered the room and crossed the distance between the man and himself. Then with ease he grabbed the man, choking him.

"Hello," Akabane said calmly, containing any rage and processing it until all he had was cold, calculated logic. He would not let any of his anger turn into bloody, uncontrolled violence. It would be messy and unpleasant. The man went to yell, but Akabane's arm tightening across his throat silenced him. He struggled, but Akabane controlled him with ease.

"Do you know who I am?" Jackal whispered and the man slowly nodded.

"You were the one who attended Miss Reika Hiroto and gave her unnecessary sedatives. I recognise you from another time. Would you care to explain?" he asked without a trace of anger, simply interest. He loosened his hold around the man neck and the man took a moment to breathe before answering.

"We tried following you after you dispatched the men we paid to bring you in, but lost your trail. We dispersed and sent men to find you, but they either failed to find you or were killed by you. It was sheer luck you came here where I had been placed in case someone of interest showed up," he said, stopping suddenly as if he had said too much. Akabane considered what he had just been told and then slowly tightened his hold again.

"Why did you sedate Reika?"

The man took in a stifled breath and struggled for a moment before he suddenly felt a blade tip press to his abdomen and he went still again.

"This is one of the very first blades, you know," Akabane told the man quietly, "I kept them safe; a matter of sentimentality, I'm afraid. But now it proves somewhat interesting, do you not think? The very person who operated on me being handed back his scalpels in death? No? Perhaps not."

"We were going to take her away and use her as a hostage. You, for the girl," the man said breathlessly, his eyes trained on the scalpel slowly moving to his heart. Akabane thought for a moment. Would he have done it? Traded himself in for Reika's safety? The thought had to wait.

"That wasn't very wise. Is Miss Hiroto well enough to travel?"

The man shifted and he pressed the blade to him in warning.

"She could travel. As long as she isn't moved much. She would have to return for checkups," the man nervously replied and Akabane nodded.

"I thought as much. I shall release you and you can tell your superiors, or whoever, to stay away from me or I shall cease to simply dispatch the people you send and instead seek out those who send them and kill every single one of you. Understood?" Akabane said, his tone hardening, a touch of anger in his voice he hadn't meant to allow. The man nodded and Akabane released him, the scalpel in his hand disappearing. He turned and left the room without a backwards look, intent on getting Reika out of the building fast.

He returned to Reika's room to find her asleep from the sedatives, but safe. Quickly, he unhooked her IV and placed it on her stomach, then detached her from all the monitors and machines before picking her up, blankets and all, and striding out of the hospital. He carefully ignored the shouts from security and the reception and carried on.


	4. A Look At One Woman

**Chapter Four: A Look at One Woman**

When Reika awoke, she almost screamed when she saw the ceiling of her own bedroom. Her eyes darted from the ceiling to beside her. Her light brown hair felt strangely smoothed out around her face. What was going on?

She turned her attention to her wound, which felt uncomfortable. Peering under her nightshirt Reika found the bandages firmly wrapped around her chest. That explained the discomfort there, but not the one in her hand. Unsurprisingly, an IV line came from her hand up to where an almost empty IV was strung onto the bedside lamp.

"What on Earth…?" she mumbled. With a grimace, she reached out to her hand and examined the IV before pulling it out. The stinging made her wince, but she let the IV line go and focused instead on getting out of bed. It made her chest burn, but she didn't care. She needed to know what had happened to get her here.

Slowly, she shuffled toward the living room door.

* * *

Akabane was seething as he carried Reika back from the hospital. His senses were on high alert. If that doctor was to set anyone on him, or follow him, they would die. But at the same time he had to keep Reika safe. He whirled down another street, quickly checking Reika and finding her to look slightly uneasy, but overall fine. Well, except for the blood beginning to leak through her bandage.

"Oh dear," he murmured and picked up his pace.

'_All this trouble for one fragile human,'_ he mused as he sharply turned into the street where the apartment was. It wasn't much further. They should be safe, since they wouldn't be staying there much longer now he was making arrangements for their new home.

The power of emotions were more formidable than he could have ever imagined. Taking such care over one person was something that was beginning to become something almost normal for him. But a part of him still rebelled, the piece that craved murder. It made him feel sick at the thought of preserving life at his own expense. This twisted inside him for some moments before sinking again, combated with his desire for Reika. How the two feelings somehow coexisted within him, not even he could say.

Finally he reached their apartment and managed to open the door. Swiftly, Akabane made his way to the bedroom and lay her down. The IV that had been resting on her stomach needed to be put up, but there was no practical place for it. Eyeing the bedside lamp, Akabane hunted around for some moment before producing some tape from a draw and taping the IV to the top of the lamp.

"You are lucky that I used to be a doctor, dear Reika," he told her as he pulled the hospital gown off her and removed the bloody bandage. Underneath, he found a few stitches to have come loose. Akabane quickly entered the adjoining bathroom and opened a cabinet under the sink. After some rummaging, he pulled out an old bag and returned to the bedroom.

"It's strange to play doctors and nurses again, but for you I do not mind," he said with a smile. The bag held all kinds of things a doctor would have; a memento of his previous life, as he liked to call it. Akabane deftly repaired the stitches and put fresh bandages on, then put the bag away before searching for some nightclothes for Reika to wear. A nightdress was found and he carefully dressed her and placed her comfortably under the covers.

At this point Akabane removed his latex gloves, throwing them away, and took his coat off, careful to hang it up. He removed his shoes and sat beside Reika on the bed. Unsure what to do, he watched her for some minutes as if perhaps she would tell him what to do. Her hair was splayed out around her head and began to trigger a memory of the morning; a hand, gently stroking his hair while he hadn't woken up. It was because he was such a light sleeper he even remembered that, he knew, and he was glad. Akabane remembered with a smile, of how he had enjoyed the contact. Perhaps she too could derive comfort from the gesture?

He experimentally reached out with one smooth, pale hand and gently let it come to rest on Reika's head. She didn't move and Akabane was relieved. So slowly he stroked her hair, smoothing it out around her face. Reika made no indication whether she felt the contact or not, but it gave him something to do until he thought of something else. All Akabane had to do was protect her, carry on with his job as a Transporter and find the person who will test him to his physical limits.

And on that thought, he left Reika, finally thinking of something to do.

* * *

_In the dark, she stood transfixed in horrified awe at the man who had rescued her only days before. He had got her home safely and then he had taken to visiting her. In turn, she had taken to following him as he tended to roam the streets at night. Most of the time, she could never catch him, unless she went after him after he visited her, but she had struck gold tonight._

_But now she stood at the scene of a murder, a man lying feet from her. Her hands were trembling, confronted with the disturbing mess the man she felt so attracted to had left behind. She had heard something about a diamond and then the dead man trying to attack Akabane. But something she couldn't see properly happened and the last thing she saw was Akabane threw something at the man and the howl he emitted made her shake. Now she stood in the aftermath and felt tears well, that unrelenting burning in her eyes as tears formed and fell. _

_Her mind couldn't comprehend how the soft spoken man she talked to in her room at night equated with the cold, even entertained, killer that had stood before her only minutes ago. Her breath caught in her throat as she choked out the last of her tears and she straightened, refusing to look at the body anymore._

_Slowly, shakily, she made her way back to her apartment, unable to cope with what she had witnessed. After some hours lying on her bed, thinking on what to do, she came to a decision. There was no other way but to address what she had seen and get Kuroudo Akabane to tell her who he was. And if she was able to cope with his reply, then perhaps they could become something that she had been looking for. _

_She would confront him and see if her dreams could come true.

* * *

_

Even with bare feet, she was still heard by Akabane. The minute she set foot in the room he turned around from his seat on the sofa, his eyes sharply focused on her. With his unnatural speed he was beside her, taking a firm hold of her arm to examine where she had removed the IV.

"You shouldn't have done that, Reika," he told her, running a finger over the mark where the needle had been in her skin. Akabane guided her to the sofa and sat her down before checking her over. Reika allowed him to examine her because she was distracted by the papers spread out on the coffee table. A new transporting mission, some papers on a new apartment and just one more peeking out from the rest a piece of paper on the hospital she had stayed in.

"Why did you take me out of hospital? Did they say I was able to come home?" she questioned, finally facing Akabane. Their eyes met and Reika was faced with an expression she rarely saw on Akabane's face: hunted.

"I'm afraid my past has inadvertently caught up with me and put you in danger. Some doctors interested in my… unique condition saw me in the building and were going to use you as a hostage in the hope I would exchange myself with you," he calmly explained, his expression flickering straight back to almost amused. Reika found a question bubbling within her, requiring an answer.

"Would you have done it? Traded me for yourself?"

He stopped examining her and smiled, "Of course. I would have destroyed them, whereas you would have been helpless."

She gave a slight nod, but the papers nearby were still troubling her. Reika pulled her legs up onto the sofa and lay down on the sofa, resting her head in Akabane's lap. He was surprised for a moment, before relaxing and allowing her to remain where she was. Something normal to other people was foreign to him. He could see she was tiring, content to rest where she was.

"I keep wondering why you keep me around. Why you were even interested in me. How we ever worked out," she suddenly whispered and Akabane gave her a slow, secretive smile.

"I've been thinking about it a lot lately," he confessed and Reika steadily watched him from his lap, waiting for an answer.

"I have always sought to test my physical limits, since I cannot determine how strong I am. Every opponent I have fought has barely breached my middle limits, never infringing my physical threshold of power." Akabane paused, thinking for a moment. Reika could see that he was relieving a memory, his eyes temporarily glazed.

"… When I met you, a feeling stirred in me, something I hadn't met before. Then I realised that it was my emotions being tested. Apparently I have a far less resilient emotional system than physical, for I have finally met someone who tests them to their limits." At this he gave a smile and Reika felt her heart jolt with surprise. She had never thought of herself testing him in any way, but the way he put it make her… feel strange. She had always thought that she loved him, but also that he had power over her. But from what he said, it was she who had power over him.

"I test you?" she questioned, wanting to define what he meant more clearly. Reika felt like her role in this relationship they shared took on a new, different meaning. Akabane, meanwhile, sat beside her thinking on her words.

"Yes, I believe you do test me. My feelings for you are… complicated. You're the only person I've met who has evoked such emotions in me, just like I've yet to meet the person who creates a physical prowess over me. You understand?" he asked and Reika slowly nodded. It was strange to think of how Kuroudo saw her, but she understood.

"So I am the one who pushes you to the limit. But in a good way, right?" Reika questioned and Akabane set his gaze on her, making her face heat up.

"Precisely. I'll admit, sometimes I find myself torn over feelings of self disgust and adoration, but you must be aware that I am not a normal person."

Reika lowered her eyes, taking in a shaky breath. She did know he wasn't like everybody else, and she knew that perhaps he didn't think like 'normal' people. She was afraid that his thought processes and ways of reasoning would one day result in her being harmed, but now he had admitted that she had a great deal of power over him, she felt at ease. They had shared a strange relationship – she would be the first to admit this – but now she felt they both had equal standing.

She lay with a man who had killed with no remorse, seeing the whole idea of fighting and death as a game. But feelings couldn't be reasoned with, they couldn't be told that the man she felt so strongly for had done things that caused people to fear and revile him.

It wasn't something that ceased to amaze her, despite taking that step and accepting him where others hadn't. She had faced him, spoken truthfully and, in the end, reached where she was today. With him. Still, on occasion, she would have a dream of the memory. She remembered the trepidation, the uncertainty of her fate. After seeing how he had killed a man before her eyes, she was scared. Terrified, even. Reika hadn't ruled out that she too would die by his hand. Sometimes when she slept, she dreamed of an ending like that; dying by Akabane's hand for some unknown reason.

She closed her eyes and just let herself relax, recalling the memory of when she finally faced the man she would end up loving.

* * *

"_Hello, my dear," he said with a pleasant smile and Reika jumped. She had already failed to tell him about seeing the man after the diamond in the night. Reika knew that she couldn't avoid confronting him, but the image of the man lying before her kept freezing her heart. She wasn't sure whether she should fear Akabane or not; he had been a complete gentleman with her, but something still hinted in the back of her mind that he was not a man to cross._

"_Hello, Kuroudo," she replied with a wan smile, offering a seat on the sofa with a wave of her hand. He looked at her quizzically and took a seat beside her. Experimentally, he reached out and touched her hand with one of his meticulously plastic gloved hand. She watched him like a deer in headlights, but gave him a faltering smile._

"_What is wrong?" he asked, removing his hand to study her face instead. Reika raised her eyes to meet his and she swallowed, summoning up all the courage she possessed._

"_I… I want to know about you. What you do. Where you go," she explained, her body instinctively reclining away from him slightly. Akabane noted her actions, but did nothing, his eyes watching her languidly. He had believed that she had been following her, but was sure he lost her along the way, yet it seemed she witnesses something of his profession in close quarters. He didn't know what to think; some part of his wished to shield her from it, but that would imply he was guilty about what he did, which was far from the case._

"_Ah… an interesting set of questions. I do not know much about myself, I'm afraid, so I cannot tell you about that. Everyone has secrets, but my own are hidden even from me. As for my profession, you know I am a retriever. As one, death is a frequent occurrence. And I so happen to be stronger than those who oppose me. And as for where I go, I go where the job needs me to go. The only places I go of my own accord tend to be where I live and your place."_

_Reika sat, staring at him with a mixture of disbelief and fear. He was truthful – she couldn't imagine him lying – but he still somehow managed to hide things from her. She watched him as he removed his gloves and neatly placed them in a pocket. He meant her no harm, despite a part of her being convinced that he could and would turn on her. Still, something attracted her to him and she couldn't let it go. The whole reason she started this conversation was to ascertain whether she should allow him to visit her. She took in a deep breath and summoned a smile._

"_Thank you for being truthful. I'm glad you were," was all she could say. Reika didn't know what to do now; she had no idea what he really wanted from her. Akabane reached over and held her hands and she didn't pull away. She looked into his calm eyes and felt her overactive mind calm a little too._

"_Reika, why don't we take a walk in the park?" he said with a smile that could only be described as knowing something she didn't. It was a smile he always had; he knew nothing of himself and everything about the world and people around him. _

_Finally feeling safe, she nodded and allowed him to guide her.

* * *

_

Reika had fallen asleep, Akabane noted as he peered down at her head on his shoulder. He knew what had to be done – those doctors who had been after him for all those years were finally catching up with him. He did dislike it when he was confronted with the past, but when it threatened himself and Reika so readily… there really was only one choice.

It would be enjoyable, butchering those who harboured his past, but he had to be careful. Reika had said that there was a limit to how much danger she could be put in, that if she was hurt as badly as she had been, she didn't think she could stand it. He understood; it only made him even more determined to kill those men and allow them to move on with their lives.

"Tomorrow, my dear," he murmured, watching her stir slightly with a smile.

He picked her up, certain that the antics of the day were finally taking her toll on her, and took her back to bed. There was nothing more that could be done with her, but make her rest until she was well again. And considering her injuries, it would be a while. Normal humans were so fragile in comparison to those bred in the trash site that was Infinity Fortress. Even he was connected to the place, but in a way he cared not to think about.

Once she was stowed away in the bed, he returned to the living room and sat down. He gathered the papers he had been looking at and slowly felt the sword stored inside of him shift. He held out his hand and the sword pushed out of his chest to meet his outstretched hand. He felt no pain as he pulled it out and placed it on the coffee table.

"We've got to look our best for tomorrow, you know," he said softly. The blade had dulled a little from lack of use; there was simply a rare call for it, his opponents were so weak and unworthy. He got up and strolled out of the living room to the kitchen and took out a whetstone from the cupboard.

There was much preparation to be done.


	5. A Look At The Middle

**AN:** Thank you for your reviews – they made me so happy! Here is our next chapter – violence ahead and my obsession with guns (though only admiring, not using them). Enjoy!

**Chapter Five: A Look at the Middle**

The day began with Reika awaking to find Akabane wasn't beside her. She was used to that, though, and slowly got up. Some movement caused pain to shoot through her chest, but after some investigation the stitches were holding fine. She had a shower and got dressed, made some breakfast and took some painkillers. By the time she entered the living room again, she found Akabane sitting on the sofa with more papers in front of him.

"What are you doing, Kuroudo?" She sat beside him and he faced her, his usual calm expression on his face.

"I have been preparing for my visit to the people who aimed to hurt you in order to get to me. I trust you slept well?" His subject change hadn't gone unnoticed, but Reika let it pass and nodded.

"My chest still hurts if I move too much, but it didn't bother me when I was asleep. So… you're going on a personal mission?"

"Indeed. However you cannot stay here, so I have thought of the perfect place for you to go. You will be protected – they never could stand to see an innocent person in trouble without ending up helping," Akabane said and Reika tilted her head questioningly.

"You know people who will help us?" she asked, taking her coat off the stand and handing Akabane his hat. He plucked it out of her fingers, making sure it was still in perfect condition before placing it on his head. A small smile tugged at his lips as he strolled past Reika and held the front door open for her.

She stepped through the door, but still kept her eyes on Akabane, waiting for an answer. He seemed content to not speak until they were out on the street, and couldn't be bothered to push the matter with him. They walked out of the apartment building onto the street and Reika simply followed Akabane, her mind wondering while at the same time her chest pulled and reminded her of her wound. It was going to be a while before that healed up, and she reckoned she may end up scarred, though not too badly. She could have died, and so a scar to her wasn't bad at all.

"They are not exactly people who would help me. I have worked both with and against them, and I know they can't resist innocent people. If you are at the place they remain most of the time and there is an attack, they will protect you," he suddenly said, turning a corner and crossing the not too busy street. Reika continued on beside him, looking about as they went.

"'With and against them'?"

He gave her a brief look and smiled.

"I am not well liked by this group particularly, even Lady Poison, my former transporting partner. You met her once," he explained and Reika shook her head and gave a slight roll of her eyes. He knew she wouldn't forget something like that. Although the girl had been rather cool, but she had helped in the end and Reika was glad for it.

"Here we are," Akabane announced and jolted Reika from her thoughts. They were in front of a small, cheery looking cafe. The sign said 'Honky Tonk'.

"I won't go in myself, as some questions may be raised as well as some tempers. Threatening could be involved, which I have not the time to abide. So I bid you adieu for a time," Akabane continued, finishing with a flourish of his hand. He went to leave, but Reika took a hold of one of his hands. He halted and turned, his face blank. She knew that he knew what she wanted to ask of him, even though they both knew he hated it.

"I may not see you again. I don't want to say goodbye like this," she said worriedly and Akabane sighed, his eyes flicking about to check who was around. He bowed his head momentarily.

"Very well, though I can assure you I will return," he replied and Reika moved close to him. She would have got up onto her tiptoes, but her chest wound would have killed even more than it already did. Instead, Akabane lowered his head, shielding their faces from the road with his hat and Reika kissed him, holding him close for a few moments before releasing him. She knew he hated public displays of affection, but she needed this one kiss before he departed.

With a small smile and a tip of his hat, he was gone.

Reika sighed, wondering how long she was going to have to wait for his return. She faced the Honky Tonk once more and entered, looking about. It was pretty quiet.

"Can I help you?" a man came out from the back with a newspaper in hand, his eyes obscured with sunglasses. Reika suddenly felt nervous being all alone, wishing Akabane had alluded further to his exact relationship with the people whose care he had left her in. She scurried over to the bar and took a seat.

"I would like…" her eyes roamed the menu, "… a margarita pizza and a large coke, please."

The man remained motionless for a minute, and Reika feared she'd done something wrong.

"You want to… order food here? You don't want to find the GetBackers?" the man questioned hopefully and Reika wasn't sure how to reply.

"Who are the GetBackers?" she asked obliviously and the man relaxed, going over to get her drink.

"Nobody important – they just usually inadvertently cause my place to become a fighting ground and break things," he said returning to her with her drink. He hovered around behind the bar, the paper forgotten. A minute later a young girl came out from the back, arms laden with washed cups, and she gave a smile to Reika, who nervously returned it. Were these the people Akabane said would protect her?

"Have Ban and Ginji come by yet, sir?" the girl asked and the man shook his head.

"Thankfully no, Natsumi, but I'm sure they'll be over soon. They need all the free food they can get," the man grumbled and Reika watched on curiously. She got her pizza half an hour later, passing the time with idle chat and drinking caffeinated drinks. She learnt the man with the sunglasses was called Paul and the GetBackers were what they were called – they got back things. What kind of things, she had no idea.

"Hey! You got some beer and pizza in there!" a gruff voice shouted, the door banging open. Reika's gaze immediately turned to the door to find a tall teenager with spiky dark hair. His blue eyes peered over the top of a small pair of tinted glasses and her head felt odd when they met them. He looked away, heading beside her to the bar, hunger plain on his face. Behind him was a slightly taller boy with blond hair and heartfelt brown eyes, but had an equally desperately hungry look.

Reika, unsure what to do, inched her pizza away and tried to learn as much as she could without drawing attention to herself.

_&&&&&&_

_Life had become good. Strange, but good. Reika lay beside the slim pale form of Akabane and admired him for a time. He was so peaceful facially, while he body seemed constantly at odds with the concept of sleep. His body looked so rigid, she couldn't help but reach out and touch his chest. Despite his appearance, his body felt reasonably stress-free. _

_Until his hand grabbed hers and knives slid out from between his fingers. He was pressing forward, the scalpels resting dangerously on her throat. She gasped, too afraid to make any louder noise in case it provoked him._

"_It's me, Reika," she hurriedly protested, her wide grey eyes focused on his darker blue ones, desperate to make a connection with him, to make him understand. He wasn't all there, she quickly realised, acting on instinct. His eyes went from deadly to impassive and he moved away from her. _

_Akabane had frightened her, and she was certain he was acutely aware of her fear. He distanced himself from her, calmly getting out of the bed and moving to put his clothes on. She didn't know what to say to him; she didn't want him to leave like this._

"_Kuroudo… it's alright. You didn't hurt me," she nervously attempted, climbing out of the bed and tugging the cover sheet with her. Her hand swiftly wiped away the four pricks of blood on her neck. No damage done, but it had felt disturbingly close. He finished dressing, lastly reaching to the top of a chest of draws to pick up his hat and place it on his head. Reika suddenly felt terribly exposed in just the sheet, while he was now fully clothed, and didn't know whether to approach him or not._

_He stood motionless with his back to her._

"_I could have. Very badly," he said factually, his voice devoid of any of its usual humour. Reika's blood ran cold. Were things always going to be like this between them; hot and cold until one drove the other away? After some of the things they had faced about one another, still they had these moments where one pulled away from the other. She wanted to reach that balance where they could be comfortable with each other, but every so often these moments occurred. _

_He began to walk away when Reika made her decision. Dragging the sheet with her, she ran to Akabane and halted him, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind. _

"_Please don't leave. If you do, I know you won't come back," she whispered, desperately trying to think of how to explain what she felt. He halted, but had the air of submission, rather than stopping because he wanted to._

"_I know this is hard. It's a challenge for both of us. Are you going to walk away from that?" she asked, hoping she'd said the right thing._

"_Reika my dear, this is something you must leave me to reflect upon alone." His voice was strange; sombre yet firm with none of its humour but all of its politeness. _

_Reika nodded, her forehead briefly brushing his back and released him. He turned, eyes unreadable and tipped his hat before disappearing. She stood, the air chilling her skin slightly, and pulled the sheet closer to her. Outside, it began to drizzle, and Reika turned her eyes to the window._

_All she could do was hope he would return._

_&&&&&&_

He would cut through each and every one of their fleshes until there was nothing that would threaten himself or Reika again. And he would enjoy it all. They had held a semblance of challenge over the years; he admitted that they had kept him out of hospitals for years, but the time had come to claim all territories back. There would be nowhere that Akabane could not tread.

Reika would be safe, that he was certain. Ban and Ginji always hung around the Honky Tonk and they wouldn't let an innocent person be attacked for any reason, especially innocent women. And after what was about to happen, she would never have to be left in the care of anyone else. With anticipation his scalpels slid out between his fingers and thumb. He was almost there, he could feel it. Excitement at the prospect of fighting made his heart lighten considerably. There was no need to worry about anything. Soon everything would be right again.

The building he was approaching was large, with the façade of a stately house, but Akabane knew better. He had no doubt that inside would be something quite different. He sunk into midday shadows next to some large bushes and examined the entrance. Two guards, each with pistols. Something easily dispatched. Eyeing the upper floors, he found there to be more guards with heavier artillery, each wielding a shotgun. They did not concern him as they weren't even looking below. He would love to be stealthy, but his heart sung for competition. Undoubtedly the guard above would hear him talking to the entrance guards and then their screams when he triumphed.

He strolled out, no longer caring what the doctors' superior's base may have contained. All he knew was that he would kill everyone of relevance. The guards turned their gaze upon him, but with no concern. They looked upon him as if he was simply one unarmed man who couldn't harm the two of them. A small smile grew on his lips.

"If you would be so kind, I wish to speak to the main occupant of this house," Jackal calmly asked, his face giving nothing of the pleasure he knew he was about to experience and the delight of it all hidden.

The guard to his right stepped forward, shaking his head and waving a hand as if to shoo him.

"No-one is allowed into this building unless we are given express permission, or you're scheduled to be here," the man gruffly explained, his hand tightening on his pistol warningly. Akabane was not in the least shaken or worried, his expression unmoved.

"Then I suggest you ask for permission," he replied with a hint of amusement in his voice. The two guards exchanged glances. They could see trouble now.

"I'm afraid you misunderstand. No-one is given permission to enter. You better leave off now, or we'll have to remove you from the grounds," the second guard said, clearly ticked off.

"I cannot do this. I will be entering here, and I will give you a chance to stop me. Please be worthy opponents." His voice had become formally cold, all amusement gone. Akabane's mind was focused on anticipating what their next actions would be.

The first guard lifted his gun, taking aim, while the second began to strafe to cut off Akabane's exit. A shot was fired, but Akabane was already gone, jumping and landing behind the first guard. The scalpels smoothly slid out and were placed across his throat.

"No competition," Jackal sighed and cut his throat. It felt as natural as breathing. The guard fell to the ground, blood pooling out fast, the artery severed. The second guard lost it, beginning to fire wildly, panic clearly getting the best of him. Akabane was calm, leaping out of the path of bullets and fell behind the second man, performing one accurate swipe and disarming him. The man shrieked, blood spilling from his hand, two fingers lost with the gun. Jackal swished his arms, content in his dance of death, and sliced through the man's middle.

There was silence for a moment. Akabane's mind felt invigorated with his task. Protecting Reika and ending any more probes into his life by these people was more than fine by him. The guard's from the floor above now sprung into action, yelling and pointing their shotguns at the bloody scene.

But Akabane was already gone.

"I apologise," Akabane murmured to himself, "but you two will simply have to wait a minute."

He flew down the main corridor, pausing to butcher anyone in his path, and took the large sweeping staircase to the next floor. An office. The person co-ordinating these doctors in his capture would be in an office. He didn't explicitly know this, but his instincts told him the man who wanted him as a specimen would be that type.

"Halt!" a man shouted and Akabane turned. Both of the men from the balcony had come in to stop him. Their shotguns were shakily aimed at him. He recognised that they knew they didn't stand a chance against him, yet still they were going to try and kill him.

'_How foolishly brave,'_ Jackal thought to himself before letting several scalpels fly. The man with the shotgun gasped before twisting and falling to the floor.

He moved on, searching each room. Hardly any had people in them, and those that did didn't have them for long. Akabane wondered if Reika fully understood his feelings on killing and what she would do if she were to witness his systematic killing of nearly every person in the building. Granted, all of them were armed and as soon as they spotted him went to kill him, but killing was killing in Reika's mind, he knew.

There was no time for this trail of thought. He had explored every room on the floor and there was no-one would could be the mastermind. Last floor. He went up another flight of stairs and knew that this was the place. The decoration was grander, gold and gilt frames displaying beautiful works of art. Expensive furniture, everything a class better that the previous floors.

Surely the man he searched for was aware of what was happening. Had he a route of escape? The sword inside of him came to the fore and he slowly drew it out. It was covered in blood, but it was sharp after last night. His preparation had seen to that. The man he sought would die a special death. Akabane was sure he was close.

He looked down the long corridor and saw one door that caught his eye. It was a double door, covered in carvings in the heavy oak wood and large ornate golden handles. The man's need for rank reflected in decoration would be his death.

In an instant Akabane was at the door. With a smile, he knocked and waited. No answer. As he thought. He absently twirled the sword in his hand, then tried a handle. Locked.

"Oh dear," Akabane said, then swung the sword down between the doors.

The lock gave and the doors swung open, revealing a man holding a Colt .45 flanked by two burly men armed with submachine guns. The two guards were well protected with Kevlar vests, making Akabane shake his head. They believed that _this_ would stop him?

"I should have known that you would be harder to contain than this," the middle man said, pointing his Colt at Akabane. Akabane took of his hat and gave an elaborate bow. He was angry, but that didn't mean he shouldn't be courteous to the men he was about to kill with relish. A fire was shot as his head was dipped and in an instant he jumped and flipped, hat gripped tight in one hand, sword in the other.

"How impolite," said Jackal as he landed to the right of the three men, replacing his hat. His target smirked, the Colt still pointed at him.

"Take him out," the man said, his voice cold. The two guards stepped forward and fired. Akabane swiped the sword, deflected some bullets, but many more hit him. He was unused to bullet wounds, but found them to be almost on par with Kagami's diamond dust. His body began adapting the bullets within him, forging them anew into scalpels and shot them at the two men. The shooting stopped, both men crumpling to the floor, each with a set of scalpels in their necks. Akabane felt happiness in his heart at the sight, even as blood trickled from his multiple wounds. All that mattered was who he came for.

The man backed away, his gun still aimed at Akabane. The man only had five bullets left.

BANG.

Akabane still approached, reforming the bullet and allowing it to reside with the rest of his weaponry. Reika had to be protected, and he needed to put a rest to his past.

"No more catching up with me," Akabane murmured, bringing his sword up ready to chest height.

BANG. BANG. BANG.

"You are wasting your shots." He could feel his chest starting to hurt. It was rare for him to be shot this many times. People who knew of him and still tried to fight him seemed to believe in elaborate methods of dispatching of him, but he never met a person who utilised something as obvious as a gun. This experience was thoroughly rewarding.

The man before him was panicking, his hand shaking. It wouldn't throw off his aim though – it was point blank range between them.

BANG.

The shot pierced Akabane's chest as he thrust his sword forward and stabbed the man through the heart; the spoils of being a doctor. With hardly a sound, the man crumpled to the ground. Akabane calmly removed his weapon and sunk it back into his body. The damage he had taken was incalculable – so many bullets had hit him. But he had won through and protected Reika, as well as gaining revenge for trying to plague his life, and so was content.

"Thank you for your challenge," he coughed and headed out of the building. He hoped he could return; he wasn't sure what his body was doing. So he departed, hoping he could recover.


	6. A Look At The Return

AN: Thank you for the reviews – I'm glad people are enjoying this story. The Eye of the Crow caught me at just the right time and I immediately sat down and wrote out this chapter, so thanks! I'd like to make a special thanks to people who have reassured me that Reika isn't a Mary Sue. My goal was to ensure she was just a normal person – no multicoloured eyes and superpowers. And I'm glad it turned out alright. Thanks everyone. Also just to let you know, I've reposted chapter five as I reread to find many irritating mistakes. Sorry about that. I'd like to finish up announcing that this is the penultimate chapter. Enjoy!

EDIT: Made some spelling corrections and a few continuity things. I'm thoroughly mad at myself. My apologies.

**Chapter Six: A Look at the Return**

_Reika was asleep, curled up and unmoving. Akabane had technically broken into her house. It had been almost a week since he'd almost cut her throat and he had left to think about what had happened. Could he trust himself in her company – that he wouldn't do something like that again? He given the matter some thought, but had spent most of his time doing various Transporting work with Lady Poison and Mr. No-Breaks. It had been wonderfully distracting from the problem that lay before him._

_He approached her bed. She would wake up soon as she worked at a small boutique that sold some designer clothes and jewellery. He fleetingly wondered if she enjoyed her work. But it didn't matter. Her light brown hair was slightly rumpled from sleep and half covered her face. Akabane sat on the edge of the bed and thought about what he was going to do. _

_The decision was easy. The reasons were hard. The girl had not woven some magic spell around him, blinding him to all. She was… something of interest. He still worked, still had a healthy bloodthirstiness for merciless butchering against potentially worthy opponents. He still liked to be courteous and antagonise the Get Backers. But Reika had presented an interesting new avenue of enjoyment. She was someone he could talk to about various things; someone who challenged him… how was it... _emotionally_. He reached points with her where he thought about turning away, or killing her. Part of his mind wanted her to love everything about him, which angered him because he knew there were lots of things she would likely come to despise. The problem wasn't really him, in some respects. It was whether she was able to accept he was a killer; that he wasn't going to stop because she asked him. That she may never learn all about him._

_His gloveless hand reached out and caressed her hair, brushing it away from her face. She looked so at ease. But he needed to speak with her. How best to wake her? Akabane didn't want to scare the life out of her like last time they were together. He finally decided on gently prodding her shoulder. Reika stirred, her grey eyes opening blearily to look at her alarm clock._

"_Reika," he said and her eyes became alert, turning to him immediately._

"_Kuroudo! You came back!" she said, clearly surprised and sat up. Before he knew it, she had wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight to her._

"_I am back," he confirmed, reaching up and taking his hat off, letting it drift onto the bed and awkwardly hugged her back. After a few minutes Reika released him and met his eyes._

"_Have you made your decision?" she asked, becoming nervous. He surveyed her, wondering whether she really should shoulder such a burden as he. But it wasn't really a choice he could make for her; all he could do was make his own choices and see what came of them._

"_Reika, I do not think you know what you're in for," he confessed and Reika bowed her head._

"_I think I know enough to be aware of what could be in store for me. I have witnessed some pretty disturbing things. Some things I could never forgive myself for. But I'm not the one committing such an act. And you are perfectly self possessed and aware of what you are doing. I still don't know whether you take death lightly or not," she said soberly, her hands twisting the covers on her lap. Akabane nodded, seeing what she was getting at._

"_I feel that a person is aware of what they get themselves into. People who cross my path know who I am and what I am, yet they still challenge me. An unwritten, unspoken contract is signed in that moment. Their deaths are their own. People who stand in my path, challenge me or try to attack me will perish, and this is life. It is something that I don't need to come to terms with, but you, my dear."_

_The silence was painful to his ears. His eyes couldn't watch Reika, and so looked out of the window, where grey misty rain fell in the early morning. Minutes passed until he felt Reika touch his arm. He looked to find her eyes welled up a little, but a small smile on her face._

"_I accept what you do, Kuroudo. Will you accept me into your life?" Her voice was shaky. A smile graced his lips and he drew her into a kiss._

"_Of course, Reika. I must request that I drop into your life, and not vice-versa, as I am on the move a great deal and where I keep the few things I own I rarely live in. Here is more of a home than there," he said after relinquishing her lips. She was smiling._

"_Then live here. There's plenty of space," she offered. Akabane briefly bowed his head with a smile._

"_Thank you. I will consider the offer. I must go to complete a job today, but I should return this evening. Enjoy your day," he said, picking his hat up and standing. Reika joined him and gave him one last kiss, holding it for as long as she dared. After missing him for almost a week, worrying that he would never return, she felt she deserved this recompense. It calmed her, while he explored the interesting emotions that tangled when they got together. Akabane just began to analyse what he felt when she let him go, her eyes looking softly at him._

"_Thank you for coming back, Kuroudo. I seriously thought for a while…" she broke off, clearly troubled by the memory and Akabane shook his head, his hands making a slight cutting motion._

"_Do not trouble yourself over it anymore. Tonight, my dear," he said with a gleam in his eye and left._

_From then on, Reika's flat became home._

_&&&&&&_

Morning had become late afternoon and Reika was getting antsy. Akabane had been gone for quite a few hours. He'd been so vague about where he was going and how long he'd be, she didn't know when she should start panicking. The pizza and drink was long gone, but she now had a third cup of coffee in front of her.

'_With all the caffeinated drinks, no wonder I'm on edge,'_ she thought to herself, nervously jiggling a leg under the counter. Paul had chatted amiably to her, while the girl called Natsumi had dealt with those Get Backer boys. They were still hanging around, begging for food and drink. Natsumi clearly had a soft spot for the starving wretches, but Paul seemed adamant that they cough up money. She gathered they had some kind of tab which amounted to the gross national product of a small country. Eventually, they had been fed, if only to prevent them from scaring other potential customers away by collapsing on the ground and drooling.

Reika had found the two to be entertaining, if odd. But they didn't distract her from her main concern. When was he going to return?

The door opened and Reika's eyes immediately flew to the door to find Lady Poison standing in the doorway. She was surprised. It seemed everyone Akabane knew came in here. Lady Poison didn't immediately see her, but when she did her eyes widened for a moment. The two Get Backer boys followed her gaze. Lady Poison ignored the boys and approached Reika, who suddenly became incredibly uncomfortable. Lady Poison slid smoothly into the seat next to Reika and faced her.

"You're that hostage girl that almost messed me and Jackal's Transport job up six months ago," she said plainly and Reika shifted uncomfortably.

"Uh huh. My name is Reika. I only ever knew you as Lady Poison," she replied, her nerves beginning to get the best of her. She took a sip of her coffee and waited to see what the girl would do. She hadn't realised how young the girl was. Up close it was so obvious, despite the womanly curves her body had. The girl paused for a moment, seeming to debate whether to tell Reika her name.

"My name is Himiko, Reika. What are you doing here?" Reika was beginning to feel like this was an interrogation. She didn't know how to answer. Akabane had worked with Himiko, though he suggested they hadn't exactly got on. And those Get Backers apparently really didn't like him either. Mentioning his name would be risky. But she couldn't think of a plausible lie. No-one randomly hung around in a café that just happened to have powerful people in there that could protect her. Himiko seemed to recognise the struggling look on Reika's face, and was becoming suspicious.

"I am waiting for Kuroudo," Reika whispered, leaning closer to Himiko to try and stop anyone but her from hearing. Himiko looked very surprised.

"Why would you be waiting for him?" she asked, her eyes narrowing dangerously. Reika fidgeted, wondering how much she should give away.

"We're on good terms," she eventually decided, but Himiko seemed to see through her words.

"I wouldn't broadcast that, if I were you. You must be mad. Or a psycho like him." Reika became affronted.

"We're not psychos," she hissed, but Himiko didn't look convinced.

Before she could say anything else, the door opened again and Akabane stumbled in, his coat open, revealing his crisp white shirt to be covered in blood. He straightened, seemingly concerned he was stumbling, and looked about. Reika had already jumped off her seat and practically flew at him, coming to a halt to stare at the mess his torso was in.

"Kuroudo," Reika breathed, "what on earth happened?"

He regarded her, his dark blue eyes calm and composed.

"I killed the man who has been causing us trouble and now I've come to collect you," he said, unconcerned by his wounds. Before either could say anything more, the air seemed to fill with static electricity. Reika could feel her hair begin to stand on end and saw Akabane's was doing the same.

"Jackal! What are you doing here, scum!" thundered the blond boy – Ginji, Reika corrected herself – who looked ready to tear Akabane's head off. The calmer, but more sinister looking boy, Ban, stood and cracked his knuckles.

"I would advise you leave immediately, because having hamburger for a chest isn't going to win you a sympathy vote here," Ban said coldly. Akabane managed a faint smile.

"I am not here to deal with you. I have come to collect this young lady. Thank you for making sure she was safe," he added and the two boys looked confused.

"We didn't look after the broad!" Ban spat, his intense blue eyes narrowing above his sunglasses. Ginji looked confused, but was beginning to relax a little.

"Yeah, she just sat and ate a bit and talked to Paul," Ginji added. Reika was beginning to feel like a pawn in a war she wasn't aware existed. She wasn't aware she was fraternising with what seemed to be their mortal enemy. They all were so nice. Akabane gave a smile.

"Being here with you was protection enough," was all he said, turning to go. Himiko stepped forward, coming to stand next to Ban and Ginji.

"Who is she, Jackal?" Himiko asked, eyes both deadly and intrigued. Reika felt a little insulted no-one was addressing her, but accepted that their mortal enemy would get preferential treatment over a stranger. She looked to Akabane who turned back, looking a little vague, still with that slightly off putting smile that hadn't changed.

"She is my fiancée." And he left the Honky Tonk. Afraid of some kind of repercussion, Reika hurriedly followed. The Honky Tonk was left in an appalled silence.

_&&&&&&_

_The walk in the park yesterday had been an odd experience. She had been dressed simply, while he was in his usual very formal attire. They had looked rather mismatched, Reika felt, and it made her uncomfortable. People stared a little as his tall thin frame walked alongside her short un-curvy figure._

_She had felt safe. Reika found herself trusting him. It had assured her to know he didn't lie to her – at least not directly. He hid things, he hid them in truth. She found she could deal with that. It was okay. She hid things too. Reika didn't believe they were things of a size he was hiding, but still. Everyone had secrets. There were always inner parts of a self that had to be protected and could not be divulged. But that was life. Perhaps one day they would be brave and confident enough with each other to reveal such things. But it was early days yet._

"_You appear rather pensive, Reika," Akabane commented and Reika was jolted from her thoughts._

"_Yeah, I was just thinking about… everything to do with us, really," she said and he nodded, adjusting his hat to the sun. He looked so cordial as they strolled along; it made her heart flutter to think he was walking with her. Their relationship born out of one stupid incident in each of their lives. It was funny to think about it now._

"_Yes. It's all a bit of a mess at the moment, but I'm sure things will resolve themselves," he replied. They came to a bench and Reika sat down, wanting a rest. Akabane joined her and they both looked at the large pond stretched out before them._

"_I hope so," Reika said quietly._

_&&&&&&_

"Are you alright? Should you go to a hospital?" Reika asked, taking hold of one of his arms as they walked. He looked paler than usual and all the blood was making Reika feel sick. Her chest ached at the sight, as if remembering its own injury from not so long ago. Akabane shook his head as they turned the corner.

"It was more surprising than deadly, my dear," he said, determined not to reveal how painful his torso was, "It was a highly valuable experience. Firearms are very rarely used against me, and I find the pain to be quite acute. I have seldom been so badly injured, but I am durable. But never fear, for my regeneration shall see to my wounds," he explained, his voice sounding ragged. They finally reached their flat. She wanted to help him so much, but she knew he wouldn't accept, so she hung back, carefully watching his every move in case he collapsed.

He managed the stairs with relative ease considering, waiting for Reika to unlock the door. She rummaged through her pockets and produced the key. When the door was opened, he still motioned for her to enter first and Reika rolled her eyes, stepping through and waiting for Akabane to follow. He went straight to their bedroom. Reika shut the front door, making sure it was locked, and then followed him.

In the bedroom, Akabane was unselfconsciously stripping his clothes off before lying on the bed.

"Kuroudo – let me clean those wounds," Reika half pleaded.

"I have no energy to stop you," he replied, closing his eyes, and Reika shakily sighed. She hurried to the bathroom and grabbed a hand towel, soaking it under the tap. Her mind was slightly panicked; he'd never been in such a condition that she'd ever witnessed.

She returned to the bedroom and began carefully cleaning off all the blood that covered his chest. He had been right, it seemed – the wounds were beginning to heal. It put her mind a little at ease as the blood was removed. She worked for fifteen minutes, rushing off to grab a dry towel to dry him off before placing a thin sheet over him and leaving him alone to rest.

Reika sat on the sofa and took in a deep breath. Today had been an odd day. But she had met a fragment of Akabane's past. Those two boys and Himiko… all part of his past. Admittedly, they all seemed to hate Akabane, but still… meeting people of Akabane's immediate past and present had been interesting. Before Akabane had shown up, Ban and Ginji seemed nice enough boys, if a little crass and broke.

And now they were home and she didn't know what to do with herself. She rubbed her eyes. The caffeine was keeping her twitchy and slightly on edge, even as her eyes was beginning to feel a little gritty as if she needed to rest. Her chest was aching. She headed to the kitchen and rooted out some painkillers to take. Perhaps she should have a lie down. Reika took her shoes off and quietly approached the bedroom.

He was sound asleep, his usual rigid appearance, despite being relaxed. With a sigh Reika changed into a nightdress and crawled into bed beside Akabane, laying her head to rest. She felt more comfortable, content to wait for the painkillers to kick in. His chest was clean, but he looked like he was a body waiting for autopsy. It made her feel queasy to look at, so forced her eyes to his face. It was like his body – taut with traces of discomfort.

She sighed, closing her own eyes and curling up. Today had been a trying day.

_&&&&&&_

_The cacophony around Reika was jarring. Her head was still out of sorts. And she was in his arms, their eyes still locked. What was interesting? His gaze was friendly, but intense. Her heart seemed both panicked and thrilled._

"_W-what's interesting?" she nervously asked. He gave a small smile, but said nothing. The man called Jackal let her go and she found she was still a little unbalanced, but could walk._

"_I shall get you home," he seemed to decided and Reika went to shook her head, only to find it made it spin worse than it already was. Her head didn't seem to be in sync with her body and she felt Jackal take a firm hold of her arm._

"_Thank you," she mumbled, holding her head and squeezing her eyes shut in an attempt to gather her thoughts together._

"_That's alright. My name is Kuroudo Akabane. Happy to be at your service," he introduced himself and Reika straightened, opening her eyes to look at the man who was also called Akabane. With the blow to the head, she was finding everything rather confusing._

"_Reika Hiroto," she replied and he nodded._

"_Nice to meet you. If I'm to get you home safely, I need to know where you live." In her mind, this didn't sound like such a good idea. He'd just killed that guy who had held her hostage, hadn't he? She took a few steps off in the direction of her house and Akabane followed, still holding her arm to steady her._

"_It's going to be a game, is it? Well, I shall play. I do enjoy games, Miss Hiroto," Akabane said cordially and Reika felt comforted by his pleasant demeanour. They walked along together. She vaguely heard the Lady Poison woman yelling, but her mind was too out of sorts to focus on anything more than getting to her house. The fresh air was beginning to help, though. She wondered whether she should go to the hospital or not. Reika made a left and Akabane looked about._

"_Hmm, you live in a pretty good area," he commented._

"_My parents spoil their daughter," she mumbled and Akabane appeared amused._

"_Why, it almost sounds like you're rather bitter over the matter," he said levelly, watching her carefully. Reika waved a hand, her mind beginning to recover itself. The thought of her parents was a bit of a sore spot for her._

"_They were quantity over quality. A quantity of things, a lack of quality time with their child," she explained, making another turn. It wasn't far to her flat now. Her companion seemed to be enjoying what was happening immensely. His amusement was slightly off-putting._

"_You should still appreciate them. They care enough to give you a nice place to live."_

_Reika didn't say anything. The man didn't understand, but they didn't know each other, so she couldn't expect him to. She halted, finally at the entrance at the block of flats she lived at. Her head was still a little fuzzy, but a good deal clearer. She looked up at the man who had helped her. She realised she hadn't really taken his appearance in. He looked amused at she stared at him. Long black hair and dark blue eyes. Pale skin, handsome, but with a look that suggested there was something more than met the eyes. She found herself wanting to know what that something was._

"_Thank you for helping me home," she said and Akabane shook his head._

"_No need to thank me, Miss Hiroto. It has been a most exciting day, and meeting you has been something of great interest. If you wouldn't mind, I would like to talk with you again," he told her and her eyes widened. That had caught her off guard. Why would he want to talk to her again? Her heart was pounding._

"_I… wouldn't mind that," she stuttered and Akabane's smile widened._

"_Well, until then… adieu," he said, taking his hat off a giving a quick formal bow before replacing his hat and departing._

_Reika felt rather odd. She wondered what she had just let herself in for._

_&&&&&&_

Akabane was sitting up in the bed. He had been asleep for hours, and felt back to normal. He inspected his chest to find the wounds completely healed. Reika was beside him, looking untroubled.

He debated whether to wake her up or not. He had killed a lot of people who weren't the dregs of society, but guards of a potentially high powered person, as well as the potentially high powered person. They were going to have to wait for tomorrow to see the result of his actions.

"You're awake…" a drowsy voice said and Akabane looked over at Reika. She hadn't moved; only her eyes were open, staring up at him.

"Yes, I'm all healed up. I trust you slept well?" Reika pulled herself into a sitting position beside him.

"Waiting for you in the Honky Tonk place was rather tiring. And my chest was hurting, so I took some painkillers and got some sleep." Akabane reached out and gently parted the top of her nightdress to look at the partially healed wound. The stitches were sound. The wound looked some small – it was a few inches long, running just below Reika's left breast. Reika had gasped when his fingers brushed it.

"Does it hurt?" he demanded and she shook her head.

"No – your hands are cold," she said with a smile and Akabane relaxed, giving a chuckle.

"Well, I suppose I better warm them up," he said with an unusually wolfish grin, wrapping his arms around her.

They had time to while away until tomorrow.


	7. A Look At The End

**AN: **Finally, _finally_, it's finished. So little more for me to write of this chapter, but I just couldn't do it. And finally I finished it. Hooray! I'm so sorry for people who have been waiting, but here it is. Done! Thank you to everyone who has read this story, and thank you to people who reviewed and chivvied me on to finish this. I hope you enjoy the ending, and now I am out. Cheers, folks!

**Chapter Seven: A Look at the End**

The newspaper arrived as usual, and although Akabane usually ignored it, the headlines were something had attracted his interest. It had a picture of the building he had invaded the day before and the story about the murders he had committed. But that wasn't truly what caught his eye. It was the shocked headline that didn't quite seem like it believed itself about the files a source claimed the police found that the people murdered had been tracking and keeping tabs on people with powers. Names couldn't be revealed, but some of the kinds of powers mentioned had Akabane thinking of himself, the ever interesting Ginji Amano, and the dangerous Ban Mido.

Reika was still asleep, the events of the past few days taking its toll on her. It seemed she was recuperating well, though, and Akabane found himself not too concerned with her for the time being. At the moment he was more interested in how the public was going to react to these headlines.

A part of him didn't care; he'd like to see them try and catch him. But now his thoughts wavered slightly when he included Reika in his plans, which both irritated and unnerved him. He put the paper down and wandered into the bedroom, watching Reika intently.

Without thought, a knife slid out from between his index and middle fingers and he began to play with it. It was made of his blood and Reika's blood that had spilled on him when she'd been attacked. His thoughts dissipated in favour of peaceful blankness, focusing solely on hiding the blade in his body and making it reappear elsewhere.

The distraction eventually wore out and he had to look at Reika again. His eyes widened when he saw her eyes were open and watching him.

"Good morning," he said in his eternally cordial manner.

"You put your mask back on quick," she commented, sitting up.

Akabane narrowed his eyes, but said nothing, wandering back to the living room. He could hear her get out of bed and follow him, but deigned not to look.

He stood by the long windows, looking out at the city.

"In all this drama, I haven't been able to contact the boutique," Reika said with a sigh.

"It does not matter," said Akabane, "I shall have to cancel renting the new apartment. It's time for us to leave here."

Reika sighed. It was true. There was nothing here for her, and anything that was would only be put in danger by her connection to Akabane. The boutique would be better off without her and she hadn't been able to go to work because of her injury. And because of everything that had happened, she hadn't got a chance to tell her employer about it. So, she was probably unemployed by now.

"Kuroudo… do we have to leave so soon?" Reika's tone was beseeching, but Akabane felt somewhat uncharitable.

"Yes, we must. The newspaper has revealed some interesting information on myself and others with abilities. Of course, you are welcome to remain behind, though I confess it would be something of a loss."

Reika stood and frowned.

"Kuroudo, don't do this. Look at me. Talk to me. I can feel you trying to push me away."

Finally, Akabane faced her; his face blank.

"My love for you may well destroy you. These recent events have made that abundantly clear."

Reika shook her head and drew closer.

"I knew that a long time ago, and I didn't leave then. Wherever you go, I wish to go too. Should I pack, or are we going to simply disappear?"

She began to smile, and Akabane could feel that desire in his heart stir again. She would be the death of him.

"We do as I do; disappear."

* * *

_The air was cold and misty. It was just before dawn and Reika had hardly slept since the hostage situation. Her dreams were polluted with the event and the emotions attached to the event. Her dreams also contained the enigmatic man, Kuroudo Akabane and she found herself waking up with a feeling of uneasiness. She wasn't sure what the man was, or if there was anything she could do for him._

_She hadn't seen him since the incident, but he'd hardly faded from her memory. Which she couldn't decide was a good or bad thing. Perhaps it was trauma from the hostage situation. Or just gratitude for saving her. Reika prayed it was gratitude._

_Her walk to the boutique she worked in was always done in a nervous hurry now. Reika was ready for work in plenty of time, since she kept waking up so early and her place of work was only a ten minute walk. Sometimes she got this horrible feeling that she was being watched, or that the same situation would arise again around the next corner._

_Thankfully, no-one revealed themselves and the streets had been empty._

"_And anyway," she muttered to herself, "It happened after I left work. I should be afraid then."_

_Once she got to the store, she was fine. Her employer was aware of what had happened, since it had been splashed on the newspapers the week it had occurred. It didn't help that Reika had practically run all the way to work the day after and had turned up something close to a nervous wreck and consequently spent most of the day in the back so she didn't disturb the customers._

_She got through another day better than the one before and headed home on high alert._

_The sun was setting earlier since it was Autumn, so it was sitting low in the sky. Reika walked with her back to it, determined to get home as fast as possible._

"_Miss Hiroto."_

_Reika froze. She recognised that voice, the tone of playful cordiality with the hint that it could all turn on a knife edge and become something quite else._

"_Doctor Akabane," she breathed, turning around to face the man dressed top to toe in black._

"_Yes, you could call me that. I would prefer Kuroudo, though," he said, watching her with interest._

_Reika relaxed a little, though was still unsure of what he wanted. Then part of their exchange before he left came to her and she gave a sigh of understanding._

"_So you came to have a chat, Kuroudo?"_

_He nodded and Reika slowly came to walk beside him._

"_How have you been, Miss Hiroto?"_

_Reika grimaced._

"_You can call me Reika, you know. And… all right, I suppose," she told him. She didn't know this man and had no intention of letting him know that she was still living in fear of the day a situation like before came up again._

_Akabane regarded her with eyes that danced in amusement and Reika suddenly had the feeling he could read minds._

"_Is that true, Reika?"_

_She faltered._

"_Of course. You saved me. I have nothing to fear," she stated, becoming defensive. It felt like the man could pick her apart with ease._

"_Save fear itself."_

_He'd struck a nerve and she turned on him, unable to hide the tears beginning to form._

"_Is this some sort of entertainment at my expense?" she shakily accused, stepping away from him._

_Akabane looked mildly surprised and took a step towards Reika, who stepped back again. Akabane's cordiality was unmoved, despite the shifting in the atmosphere._

"_Please do not walk away from me. I have an unfortunate habit of having to finish my conversations once started."_

_Reika got the terrible feeling he was telling the truth in a twisted fashion. Images of the man who had held her hostage dead flashed through her mind and unsettled her._

"_Sorry. I'm just… still adjusting to what happened. It's hard to not be afraid after something like that happens," she carefully explained, approaching Akabane again._

_The man had a perpetual mask of geniality, she noticed, even when his words failed to match his expression._

"_I will protect you. I doubt there is a person in this area that would attempt anything," he said, once more in a fashion that suggested there was something far more sinister underneath._

"_How can you be so sure?" she questioned, intrigued._

_They were walking to her house again, Reika uncomfortable arguing in the street. Anyone could turn up and she would find it endlessly embarrassing. So she trotted beside him, since Akabane appeared to have a long stride._

"_Oh, I simply sent a personal message to the underground thugs whose territory this is to leave this place alone. And they kindly have."_

"_W-why did you do that?"_

_He watched her with an air that he was assessing how much to say before giving her a smile._

"_I find you interesting. And I find you holding my interest, despite lacking any power, which is almost unheard of. I cannot explain why you do, so I intend to spend time with you and find out, if you do not mind. It wasn't hard to fend off those underground thugs. They are trash." His face had gone coldly blank towards the end and he didn't meet her eyes. But Reika's curiosity still hadn't been sated. _

"_Why did they listen to you?" She was on decidedly dangerous grounds._

_Akabane gave a small smile that suggested something so much more ominous. Reika wasn't sure whether to be impressed or terrified. She felt like she was playing barehanded with fire._

"_Because I am me. And they are them."_

_The moment he said those words, Reika decided against her better judgement that she wanted to know who the 'me' he spoke of was. And so it began._

_Of course, it didn't mean she let him into her house right away. She wasn't quite that trusting of him._

_Yet._

* * *

They were looking for anything that could be linked to Akabane and destroying it. Luckily, most of the things in their residence was Reika's; Akabane tended to merely possess the clothes he wore. All his weapons resided within him. Reika accepted that his weapons were his most prized possession.

"What do you think we should do with my stuff?" asked Reika as she packed as many clothes and precious things as she could hold in a small suitcase.

Akabane drifted into the room, having shredding all papers and items pertaining to him into the smallest shreds.

"Whatever you like, my dear," he answered, and Reika shook her head.

"Always dodging the question wherever you can," she said, but the way her lips were tugging to smile gave her away.

"It is a carefully cultivated skill."

Reika sighed and decided to pack a small bag of things. Even if Akabane felt he needed nothing, she certainly didn't feel that way. It didn't take long to pack a few basics; a couple changes of clothes, the few sentimental possessions she had, and some things from the bathroom.

She felt a little sad leaving her apartment, but she knew that continuing her journey with Akabane was more important than staying there.

Akabane appeared beside Reika.

"I have dealt with all the offending material. People may be suspicious of this place, but there is no concrete evidence that could be used to follow us."

Reika looked around the apartment, remembering all the things that had happened since she'd got it.

"It'll be strange, but I like the idea of starting again."

Akabane gave her a classic cordial smile.

"Memories can be like good books; there are chapters one enjoys reliving again and again. As long as you have those memories, do you really need to stay here any longer?"

Reika took one last look at their living room.

"I suppose not. I'll treasure it all."

Akabane extended his hand.

"Shall we go?"

She took his gloved hand and nodded.

* * *

_Their conversations and meetings were slowly building up to something inevitable. The tension between them could practically be seen when they spoke, sitting together. Akabane was always very peaceable, while Reika stumbled over her words. She knew he was aware of the sexual tension between them, but happily ignored it, or somehow put it to one side. Perhaps even he was affected by it, but Reika couldn't see any visible effects. If it was merely an act and he was suffering as she was, she at least wished to possess the same ability to cover the whole thing up. Then she wouldn't have to feel her face become hot every five sentences they shared._

_It was strange to see him sitting in her room, quite unperturbed. He stood out in her apartment so much dressed in his full black outfit. He always took his hat off, which seemed to be a matter of decorum for him, and today had placed it on her bare coffee table. His coat seemed to be something he was more reluctant to part with. The only time she could recall him removing it was to dry his shirt that terribly uncomfortable night she'd thoughtlessly offered to dry it on a radiator and he'd revealed the numerous scars on his torso._

_The mere thought made her face begin to suffuse with red and Akabane cocked his head, apparently entertained._

"_Are you quite all right, Reika?" he casually asked, giving her a wolfish grin._

"_O-of course!" she blurted to try and prevent him from enquiring further._

_It only seemed to serve to make things worse, as he got up, skirted around the coffee table to sit on her sofa. She got antsy when he was very close to her, and so Akabane had submitted to her wishes for him to sit on the sofa opposite. But that was in the living room. When he came to her bedroom to chat, she had to endure his proximity on the edge of the bed. To try and stop him catching her in her bed, she was consequently going to bed later and later. Reika was sure he was coming to her apartment later each visit just to catch her in bed._

_Their meetings went like this; he was usually busy during the day, doing transporting jobs. There were nights he was busy too, so his visits weren't daily. She never knew when he was coming, but she could safely say it would be anywhere from late in the evening to the early hours of the morning. As of late, Akabane seemed to be moving his visits up an hour each time, which she suspected was a result of him coming to her bedroom window, his usual point of entry, to find her in the living room awake. He seemed to enjoy catching her unguarded and having their conversations in her bedroom, which made her more nervous._

"_You don't look alright. In fact you look decidedly… flushed."_

_Oh, he loved to draw her embarrassment out. Anything to entertain him for longer. But could she blame him, when she was being silly? They had known each other for some time now and she still got agitated over his presence._

_Reika was jolted out of her thoughts when a gloved hand touched her cheek._

"_And you feel rather warm. Are you coming down with something? I am a doctor, you know."_

_Reika faced him and knew he was teasing her._

"_Kuroudo, do you like to watch me squirm and suffer?" she asked, getting annoyed by his mocking of her feelings. Akabane suddenly looked serious._

"_No. I like things to happen."_

_He leant forward and placed a kiss on her neck, and she could feel the blood pound through her carotid under his lips._

_Reika was in a state of shock._

"_Kuroudo!" was all she could think to say. He sat back to look at her, folding his gloved hands on his lap, and she met his amused eyes with confusion._

"_Why did you do that?" she asked. She could still feel where his cool lips had touched. Her pulse was still going wild._

_Reika knew what he could be like and what he'd said previously wasn't helping. Did he do that just because he liked things to happen and had calculated that she would probably have an interesting response? Or did he do it because of feelings he was aware she had and shared? _

_Either way was pretty terrifying._

"_Because I wanted to. The air… it's filled with a pall of tension. It's a tension that can be solved quite easily, but no-one dares do it. I did not want to push the matter, but even I have limits, as you just witnessed."_

"_Kuroudo… I'm sorry. I can't just… do things. I have to work my way up to them."_

_He regarded Reika for a moment._

"_That's a lie. You want to do something, but lack the courage to do it. Your working is flailing. You have no intention of doing anything unless I initiate it. And look what I've just done," his curt tone, with the playful finish made Reika squirm. It didn't help that what he was saying wasn't exactly untrue._

_The room was silent and Akabane casually removed his gloves, placing them beside his hat. She watched him curiously and he noticed, giving her another playful smile._

_Next, he loosened his black tie, carefully taking in her reaction._

"_You're trying to provoke me, aren't you?" she said in a whisper, shuffling to the far side of the sofa. Unfortunately, it wasn't much further across from where she was already sitting._

_Akabane gave a nod and removed his tie, placing it neatly beside his gloves. Reika briefly wondered if all his clothes were going to end up on the coffee table before standing up and strolling to the kitchen._

"_Are you thirsty?" she called. It was all she could think to do to decorously get away from him._

_Reika heard obvious footsteps as she looked for a glass. He wanted her to hear him. She had to ignore it and find a glass quickly. Drinking some water would give her time to think about what to do._

"_No, thank you." _

_His voice was close. She finally found what she was looking for and snatched it up before turning around. Akabane stood at the entrance of the kitchen with his shirt hanging open. He saw her eyes trail down his beautifully muscled and scarred torso before hastily returning to his face and smirked._

"_I was getting rather warm," he lamely explained, clearly challenging her to call him out._

_Instead she filled the glass she clutched with water and gave a terrible laugh. It sounded like she was about to break down._

"_Kuroudo… why are you pushing me?"_

_He tilted his head for a moment while she gulped down some water._

"_Because you don't push yourself. And it is good to test yourself. Otherwise you make no progress, which is a waste of potential."_

_Reika grimaced. Once again, he wasn't precisely untrue. She didn't push this particular matter because she was afraid. It would be a slippery slope, she knew. Once she took one step with him, her feet would give and she'd just slide, unable to stop herself. And she feared not being able to turn back._

"_Kuroudo, you're… a very painfully tempting man," Reika began, putting her glass on the counter, "and I think I might even, well… love you, in a weird way."_

_His eyes watched her with interest while she pulled herself together._

"_I've never been in a situation like this and I'm simply being wary," she concluded._

"_I too, have never been in a situation like this. But there are limits to how long one can remain static."_

_He was going to give her a headache if he kept being rather vague. Reika paused to take stock. She believed she cared quite a lot for him, and he had indicated – in his own way – that he felt not unlike how she felt. She had wanted to be more intimate, but was also afraid. He had indicated – once again, in his own way – that he too wished to be more intimate, but had not pushed himself upon her. Perhaps, she could concede all that was standing in the way was her fear of the unknown. But perhaps he could help her._

"_I think I understand. But I… I want control. For a while, until I feel more comfortable, if you don't mind."_

_Reika told herself that you never know unless you ask. All she wanted was to see and touch until she felt a little more confident._

"_Control away. It is something, rather than nothing at all. I welcome it. Do what you will with me. I can only hope I am entertained."_

_She gave him a questioning look._

"_What would happen if you weren't? Would you kill me?" she challenged him, and he gave her the coldest look she'd ever seen from him._

"_Never."_

_Reika shook her head._

"_I didn't mean it, I swear. Your entertainment largely seems to be tied to death. Perhaps you're finding a new avenue of fun?"_

_Akabane softened and considered the matter._

"_Perhaps," he conceded._

_She drew closer to him now he'd given her control. Tentatively, she ran her hands down his chest. His breath hitched slightly and she smiled. It was reassuring to know that he wasn't going to simply stand there and do nothing. Eliciting reactions made her feel more comfortable, especially since he could do it so easily with her._

_Reika slid her hands back up and pushed his loose shirt off his shoulders and down his arms until it fell to the floor. Akabane watched her patiently._

"_Are you bored yet?"_

"_Not at all. Things are just getting started," he said, his eyes locked so intensely with hers that Reika had to look elsewhere. She settled with his chest. The memory of when she first saw the scars that adorned his chest briefly came to mind. She moved a hand to each scar in the order he had done back then. Reika stopped as an idea struck her. She stepped even closer and he placed a kiss at all the smaller scars. She could hear Akabane inhaling, but allowing her to decide what he could do._

"_It's all right to hold me."_

_Akabane immediately pulled her to him, his arms wrapped tight around her. Reika managed to pull back a bit and Akabane ran a hand through her hair. Pausing to look into his eyes, Reika then dipped her head forward and experimentally ran her tongue down the long scar on the left side of his chest. One of Akabane's hands gripped her shoulder, while the other slid behind her neck, the fingers caressing her hair._

"_Good?" she asked._

"_Very much so," he replied serenely._

"_In that case…"_

_Reika was getting bolder now. The way he had reacted had calmed her nerves. Her hands trailed down his chest to the belt on his trousers. Carefully, she undid it, pulled it out and threw it aside. She didn't care where it landed, though the noise of it knocking stuff over made her wince slightly._

"_I've… decided that you can, uh, take some of my clothing off. If you want. It doesn't seem very fair for me to keep standing here fully clothed…" she mumbled. She wondered what it would feel like to have someone else take her clothes off._

_Akabane gently caressed Reika's face, getting her attention._

"_I would like to."_

_He reached to the hem of her top and lightly gripped it, giving Reika time to take it in and tell him to stop. She simply watched him, waiting. Akabane smiled peaceably before carefully lifting it up and over Reika's head. She calmly let him do it. Once it had gone, she didn't feel a sudden urge to dive behind the dining room table and hide._

"_I feel… okay…"_

_Akabane's smile stretched to something more genuinely happy than the usual cordial smile he wore._

"_Excellent. What next?" he prompted._

_Reika considered the matter, her gaze checking over his body._

"_Take off your shoes," she requested._

_Akabane nodded and complied. He put them neatly by the door. Reika wasn't sure she'd seen a more bizarre sight._

"_Now?"_

_Reika sighed._

"_I'm getting tired of deciding."_

_Akabane raised an eyebrow._

"_Can I take that to mean that you are comfortable with me taking part in this?"_

_She nodded._

"_I… I think everything will be all right."_

"_Excellent."_

_He smoothly removed the rest of his clothes. Reika baulked slightly, but calmed herself, indulging in her desire and trying to brush aside her nervousness._

_Then, in a flash, Reika felt Akabane removing her clothes, but he was too fast to follow or for her to protest. He slowed down and was now holding her close. His eyes studied the kitchen for a moment before hoisting her into his arms. He walked over to the dining table and lay her down._

"_Uh," said Reika, "That's going to be cold."_

"_Then I shall bear the brunt of it. I find the cold delightful," he told her, and pulled her down with him._

_Reika finally felt strangely at ease. His cool hands held her securely, and the way he looked at her… it made her feel happy. She leaned down and kissed him deeply, to which he responded with more passion than she'd ever seen in him. It made her grin internally to know that he could demonstrate such emotion. It gave her hope for him and her._

"_Kuroudo… thank you for helping me," she eventually said when their lips parted._

_Akabane gave her a slightly strange look, but shook his head, and simply kissed her again._

_After a while, Reika felt the need to speak again._

"_And, well, I really do think I love you."_

_Akabane's smile was almost predatory._

"_Good. I believe I may share your feelings."_

_And with that, he finally did what he'd been wanting to do for some time._

* * *

They were at the edge of the city, on a large hill. It gave a fantastic view of what they were leaving behind, which unsettled Reika.

"Where are we going?" she softly asked and he met her grey eyes with his own. She had such an expression of melancholy mixed with hope that he wasn't sure what she thought. He sighed and turned his gaze away, out over the cityscape below.

"We shall go wherever you wish to go. Away, preferably," he replied with a hint of humour, but Reika became grave, her eyes lowering to the ground in front of her feet.

"We should get away. But could we see where you came from?" Her eyes held something he wanted to push away. He always had the feeling of push and pull with her, and supposed that was how it was always going to be. The revulsion and allure mixed in so not even he could tell the difference sometimes. She tested him every single day, and he hoped that things would work out for the best. Akabane thought on where he had lived a long time ago and a small smile crept onto his face.

"Yes, we could. Admittedly, I am personally not fond of the place any longer, but it would make an interesting trip down memory lane. I suppose I should learn more about the man called Doctor Kuroudo Akabane. But afterwards, we should stay moving for a time. It's lucky my work involves moving about – it should make us difficult to trace. So shall we depart, my dear?"

Reika nodded, her mood brightening considerably. She linked her arm with his and he entertained the action, content that she was happy. As the two left, leaving behind a city filled with memories, both good and bad, they felt themselves become freed.

Finally, perhaps they could make a life together. Reika could accept simply living beside him. For he would always be someone who walked somewhat alone, even surrounded by people. And to accept and live with that was enough.

It would be enough.

& THE END &


End file.
